The Wandering Familiar
by Autobot Rewind
Summary: Louise summons her human familiar, Saito. But what if she wasn't the only one that summoned a human familiar? Through desperation, Tabitha summons a particular wandering samurai named Kenshin Himura. . . . That she did. (Tabitha/Kenshin/Sylphid) OOC Sylphid
1. Chapter 1: A Desperate Summoning

Kenshin & Familiar Of Zero: The Wandering Familiar

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Louise summons her human familiar, Saito. But what if she wasn't the only one that summoned a human familiar? Through desperation, Tabitha summons a particular wandering samurai named Kenshin Himura. . . . That she did. (Tabitha/Kenshin/Sylphid) OOC Sylphid

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I do not own Familiar Of Zero or Rorouni Kenshin/Samurai X

 **AN:** Hello readers. After completing my first big story, Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace, I am starting up this story as my next big story line.

Saito is still summoned by Louise, but now Kenshin is also being added in. The version of Keshin that Tabitha summons is from between the Samurai X and Rorouni Kenshin timelines. That is the 10 year period where he was wandering around before the Rouroni Kenshin series. Tabitha still has a dragon to start off with, but it is not Sylphid. Sylphid will still be in this story, but she will not be like she was in the series. She will be much more mature due to circumstances. Kenshin's sword is not the reverse blade (But that does not mean that it will always be like that)

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Chapter One

A Desperate Summoning

Currently, all of the second-year students are out in the courtyard of the school they are attending, Tristan Academy. Tristan academy is an institute of magic. They are all outside because it is the day for the summoning ceremony where the second-year students summon their familiars.

At this point, almost all of the students have summoned their familiars. Louise, a pink-haired girl from a noble family, just got through summoning a human familiar. Summoning a human familiar is unheard of, but she did.

With her familiar falling unconscious with the sealing of the contract, Louse the zero heads back off to her room in defeat for summoning a peasant. Guiche, another student at the academy with blond hair, helps her take the peasant to her room. He uses a levitation spell to carry him away.

Colbert, a professor at the academy, is trying to calm everyone down from the commotion. He is a balding man that only has dark hair around the sides and back of his head. He also wears glasses and a navy robe that has white stripes around the edges and seams. Instead of a wand or a staff, he wields what looks like a bat with two red stripes on it.

Amidst all of the laughing and mocking of Louise, Colbert did not realize that there was still one more student that hadn't performed her summoning ritual just yet.

Slowly, a short girl approaches the area where everyone was doing their summoning. She is wearing the student uniform that everyone else is wearing. A long sleeve white shirt with a short black skirt. Covering her legs are pale white leggings. Upon her face are red glasses. Her short blue hair gently waves back and forth with her advance. The mixed expression on her face unwavering. The emotions in her expression are hope, fear, and desperation all mixed into one.

The girl, Tabitha, walks a heavy step along with her staff with an end that resembles a question mark. The long black she wears lightly trails behind her.

Her friend, Kirche the ardent, is the first one to notice her walk up to the spot. Kirche is a rather tall and busty woman with very tanned skin. Her white shirt is barely able to contain her cleavage. Next to her, is her familiar, a fire salamander.

"Tabitha? I almost forgot that she hadn't summoned her familiar yet." Kirche softly mutters.

'Please. If Louise can manage to summon a human, then maybe there is still hope for me. Maybe there is hope that there is a familiar out there that can save me. One that can save me from my uncle. One that can maybe help me with my mother. One that can take me away from this life that I have been trapped into.' Hopes Tabitha.

She raises her staff that is taller than herself into the air.

People begin to hush and take note that Tabitha is casting a spell.

'Guiche said that the familiar that is summoned, best suits the summoner. Then, I really hope that mine suits me as well as he said.'

While softly speaking, Tabitha begins casting the spell.

"O Bremir, our grand creator that always guides us. . "

'Bremir, send me an Ivaldi to save me from my despair and life of solitude.'

"Please heed my pleas. Answer my divine summons. . "

Even though Tabitha is speaking softly, Kirche notices through the commotion that even Tabitha (whom is a great spellcaster and doesn't botch spell) has reworded the summoning spell.

Tabitha closes her eyes and tears begin to form at the corners.

"And send me a noble one that will become a knight for Tabitha the snowstorm."

As she finishes the main casting of the spell, wind blows all around the area. The wind kicks up dirt, creating a bit of a dust cloud. Then, a white oval portal opens in front of her.

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Japan, Meiji era, 1870.

Walking down a lonely dirt road in Japan is one sole person. The young man has long red hair. He also has a cross shaped scar on his left cheek. He is wearing a burgundy kimono top with white hakama pants. He is also wearing white tabi socks and a white belt. Strapped to his side is a katana.

Around him is nothing but beautiful scenery. Lush trees and green grass. In the distance is a small stream with small rocks along it. There isn't another person in sight.

'It has done well for me to help out that farmer. I keep a somewhat full belly and I earn a little bit of money.'

He looks up as the sky quickly darkens with clouds.

"This cloud coverage is rather odd. I have never seen it come in so quick before. I better make haste, or I may end up in a downpour."

As he keeps traveling the dirt path, his mind is quickly drawn back to what he was previously thinking about moments ago.

'Winter is drawing near.'

With that single thought, he is reminded of how the anniversary Tomoe's death is approaching.

'I killed her fiancé, and then I ended up killing her when she stepped between me and her father. She was used against me so that I could be killed for the shogunate and I fell for it.'

He thinks this and touches the cross shaped scar on his cheek.

"I will forever be reminded of my past. I will have to wander on again soon."

The winds pick up and blow heavily around him.

"What is this?" He shouts while putting up his arms to shield his eyes.

The clouds become darker, rain begins to fall and lightning strikes through the air several times.

The winds circle around, blowing the grass, trees, and leaves around. Then it begins collecting in front if him and taking shape in the form of a white oval portal. When the oval is finished being created, the wind suddenly stops and the air becomes oddly calm aside from the rain.

"What form of trickery is this? I have never seen such a thing before."

He puts his left hand up to shield his eyes from the rain as he looks at the oval disc in front of him. Walking around it, he finds that the disc is as flat as a sheet of paper. He waves his hands around it. The sleeves of the kimono flap around with his motion.

'Nothing seems to be holding it up.'

He sniffs the air around it.

"It doesn't seem to have any scent, that it doesn't." He mutters while rubbing the back of his head.

After giving a shrug, he slowly reaches towards the disc. As his hand gets closer and closer, he takes note that there doesn't seem to be any heat coming from it. Finally, he touches the disc and his hand goes slightly inside.

"I am touching it, but I do not feel anything."

After a moment, he realizes that he can't pull his hand back out. Then there is a tugging sensation. A very distressed expression makes its way to his face and he begins fighting against the tugging sensation.

"This is not good, that it is not!" Shouts Kenshin.

The battousai finds himself fighting a fleeting battle against the disc and then he gets pulled inside. Blue and white lights surround and fly all around him and he falls to wherever the portal is leading him to. As he falls, he faintly hears a girl's voice. All of a sudden, he reaches another bright white light and falls through it.

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After what seems to be minutes, even though it was only 40 seconds, a figure falls through the portal and onto the ground as though he was thrown down in front of Tabitha. As the dust settles, many gasps are heard while others are completely silent.

'She summoned a human too? A handsome one at that.' Kirche thinks as she looks at the man on the ground before her friend.

Tabitha stares stunned at him as well.

'I really did, didn't I?' Ponders the blue-haired girl.

Emerging from the crowd of students, comes Colbert. He watches again in shock, for the second time today, as another human familiar has appeared before him.

Kenshin rises to his feet and brushes himself off. When, he finally looks up and at the surrounding area around him, he realizes he's not in Japan any more.

As Colbert watches him rise, he not only sees that there is a sword strapped to his side, but he gets a whiff of something in the air that he hoped he would never be around again.

'He smells of blood.' The balding teacher thinks.

Colbert's facial expression quickly changes, and he begins watching Kenshin's every movement. He readies himself to cast a spell. This action completely startles all of the students.

Kenshin notices Colbert's stance along with the fact that he is holding a bat. He also takes note that Tabitha is holding a staff. He readies himself as well by placing his left hand on his sheath, closest to the hilt of his sword and places his right hand on the hilt. The look in his eyes changes from that of a wanderer to a warrior ready for battle.

Aside from Colbert, he notices that there seems to be nothing but children all around him that seem to be all around him. Most of them begin to back away from the three of them

"Who are you, and where am I?" Asks the samurai.

'He seems to be speaking the same language as that other boy.' Tabitha, Kirche, Colbert, and some of the other students notice.

Without taking his eyes off of Kenshin, Colbert speaks to Tabitha.

"Tabitha, I know that I said that you have to finish the ritual, but I am weary of this one."

'Maybe I can cast a spell on him so he can understand me.' Thinks Colbert.

As soon as Colbert moves his bat ever so slightly, Kenshin watches him like a hawk.

The battousai could feel that Mr. Colbert was a veteran as well.

"I do not with to harm you, that I don't. But if you are going to raise your weapon, then I will fight back."

His words were obviously not understood by everyone else since he is speaking Japanese and not their language.

"Tabitha?"

"Yes, Mr. Colbert."

When, Kenshin hears her voice, he recognizes it from when he traveled through the portal. He also notices that he doesn't understand them as well.

"Do you know the language spell?"

"Yes." She replies along with a simple nod.

Kenshin watches her move her staff around as she speaks.

'I am not sure what she is doing, but she is too far away to hit me with it unless she is planning on throwing it at me. I wish I could understand what she is saying.' The battousai thinks to himself.

When she finishes the spell, she hands her staff to Colbert.

"What are you doing?" The teacher asks her in a slight panic.

"It will be okay." She replies.

'I can understand them now, but how?' Wonders Kenshin.

Tabitha slowly approaches him with her arms wide open so that he can see that she is unarmed. In her usual soft voice, she speaks to him.

"Can you understand?"

Her calm voice and soft voice breaks through the tension and he slowly begins to let down his guard.

"I do not understand how, that I don't, but yes I can. Who are you and where are we?"

"I will explain everything to you once we finish the ritual."

"What ritual? A sacrifice?"

She gets horrified at the thought and the normally expressionless girl gets a disgusted look on her face.

"Nothing of the sort. It's the summoning ritual that brought you here. I have to seal it with a. . ."

She trails off and turns her head to the side with a blush.

'My first kiss will be stolen by this man that I have never even met before today. I wonder if this is how Louise felt moments ago when she did her summoning.

"With a what?" Kenshin asks.

"Kiss." She finally says.

He blinks several times in dismay.

"I don't understand what a kiss has to do with a ritual, that I don't. We aren't procreating, are we?"

This causes even Colbert to blush.

Tabitha gets a little redder as the very thought rushes through her head. Then she shakes her head no.

Kirche lets out an uncontrollable giggle as she intimately imagines her friend with this man.

"If a kiss is all it is, then I suppose I can oblige you. But, a kiss should be reserved for someone you love and plan to be with. A kiss with me would have no meaning. We have no emotional attachment to each other."

She gives him a nod in understanding and she feels the magic of her first kiss become a fleeting moment.

"May I have your name, warrior."

"I am Kenshin Himura."

'That is an unusual name, but perhaps it is not where he comes from.'

"Kenshin Himura, I am Tabitha De O'leans. Pentagon that rules the five powers, bless this individual and make him my familiar."

'Familiar?' Kenshin wonders.

At the exact moment this thought runs through his head, Tabitha slowly leans in while closing her eyes. Then, she kisses him gently on the lips.

After a brief moment of them sharing such a simple kiss, she slowly backs away and opens her eyes.

Within another moment, his whole body begins heating up. He grits his teeth through the pain.

"What is this? My whole body feels as though it is on fire."

Guilt washes over the blue-haired girl as she sees him in so much pain.

"Please forgive me and bear with it for just a bit longer. This is the final part of the ritual where the familiar runes will be etched onto you."

With those words, he feels stabbing pain at his major joints including: the ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, and shoulders.

'This pain is almost unbearable.'

His stance staggers and he collapsed to one knee. So, he grips his sword and uses it like a cane while still sheathed to hold himself up. He begins sweating from the pain and heat.

Tabitha rushes to his side and she could feel how immensely hot he was just from being close to him. She uses her staff to cast a wind spell and create a slight breeze around them.

He stays conscious through the whole event.

'Did she just do that? There is no way. That had to have just occurred at the same time.'

"Okay?" She asks him.

"I have been trough much worse, that I have. But, I have a lot of questions and you have a lot of explaining to do."

She gives him a nod and then she whistles. Within moments, a red dragons flies in and lands next to them.

"Is this a dragon? I have only heard of these through legend." Asks the dazed battousai.

"This is my steed. We shall ride it to my room so that you may rest and so that we can talk. It will be quicker."

'So, many questions."

He wearily climbs onto the beast that is about 3 times the size of a horse. When they take off for flight, he lets out a small yelp and wraps his arms around her from behind. She blushes from the contact, and feels oddly secure in his arms.

Colbert watches them fly away.

'This is extremely odd. Summoning a single human has been unheard of except back in Bremir's days. But, two have been summoned in the same day. I will have to do much research. I am a little worried about the man that Tabitha summoned just now though. He smells of too much blood for someone so young. What kind of a life did he go through? I don't want any of the students here to have to go through anything like that.' Colbert contemplates.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading my new fanfiction. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter.

Here is a list of my other stories

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 10

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete

My 'Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace' story is at Chapter 79 - Complete

My 'Teknoman And A Succubus' story is at chapter 2


	2. Chapter 2: Worlds Collide

Kenshin & Familiar Of Zero: The Wandering Familiar

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I do not own Familiar Of Zero or Rorouni Kenshin/Samurai X

 **AN:** Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

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Chapter two

Worlds Collide

After a very short ride on the dragon, it stops in front of the main window to Tabitha's room. With a wave of her staff, the two panels covering the window burst open and they can clearly see into her room. She looks back at him and points her staff at the room.

'There it goes again. That wind just now really seemed like it came from her. But how?' Kenshin wonders.

He takes her cue wearily jumps from the dragon and into her room. He lands very heavily after all of the pain that he went through with the transformation.

She jumps into the room as well. Then, she dismisses her dragon. The red dragon flies away.

He takes a quick visual survey of her room and notices that her room is rather simple. There is a bed with a wooden frame. A small end table next to the bed with an oil lamp on it. There is also another small table in the room with two chairs at it. A desk and a closet also line one wall of her room. The oddest thing that he notices is that her whole main wall is lined with bookshelves and books.

'She must really like reading. She has probably read more books than I would in a lifetime.'

"Rest?" She asks.

He gives her a nod.

"I think that would be best, that I do. A rested mind is better for talk, even though I do have many questions to ask you."

She looks around her room. After looking mindlessly back and forth a few times, she realizes that there really isn't anywhere for him to rest except for one place. She comes a logical conclusion and points to her bed.

Kenshin scratches his temple for a moment as he ponders what this vague, blu-haired girl is trying to tell him.

"First you kiss me, and now you are trying to bed with me?"

The normally emotionless girl gets startled by his statement. Her face gets flushed again and she waves her hands back and forth.

"Just you." She plainly states.

'Oh. That's what she meant.' He thinks.

"No." He replies while shaking his head.

She cants her head to the side, and then she looks over to her bed to see if there is something wrong with it. After noticing nothing wrong with it, she looks back to him.

"Why?" she finally asks.

"That is your bed. I am filthy and will sully your sheets. I also do not have extra clothes with me. No. The floor will be fine. I am a wanderer. So, I am used to it. I do not mind leaning against your bookcases. They are good to sleep against."

Tabitha first gets a little restless as she nervously looks at her bookcases and thinks about him resting against the few things that she cherishes the most. Then, she ponders on the idea of what it might be like to sleep against her books.

'I might have to try that sometime.'

She also wonders what it must have been like to go through everything that he just went through. Turning back to him, she decides on her response to what he said.

She nods.

Taking her very simple cue, he lets out a sigh as he begins to settle in. He slips his katana out from his obi. He sits on the floor with his sword draped over him so that it is ready in case he needs to draw it. Slowly, he leans against her book shelf and relaxes into it..

'This certainly is a strange place that I have come to. Will I be able to go back to where I was? Maybe it doesn't even matter.' Are his last thoughts as he closes his eyes to get some rest.

Tabitha sits at the side of her bed and gives watch over him as he slowly drifts off to sleep.

'I think that I probably have as many questions as he might have for me. Who is he? Where did he come from? What kind of life does he lead that he carries around a sword?'

While he begins resting, she thinks about what she is going to have to do with him.

'He has no clothes, and nowhere to sleep. He is not a noble, nor is he attending this school. This is troublesome.'

Shortly thereafter, she heads out of her room.

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Principal Osmond's office.

Sitting at his long wooden desk, sits Principal Osmond. He is wearing a black robe with several clasps. His age is shown from his long white hair. He has a white mustache and beard that goes down to his stomach.

Next to his side is an assistant named Longueville. She has long green hair and glasses. Her outfit is similar in style to Colbert's except that it ends in a skirt. There is a set of brown boots upon her feet.

Osmond rubs his white beard several times.

"I understand what you are asking, but it is difficult. There aren't really any rules for human familiars. Sitting at the dining table with everyone else would cause quite a scene. To our knowledge, he does not seem to be a noble. He is not part of the faculty. Slaves and servants cannot be at the table. Traditionally, familiars stay outside while everyone dines inside. He is not a student. Can he cast magic?" The principal says to her.

'This is difficult.' Tabitha inwardly groans.

She shakes her head in response to Osmond's question.

"I do not believe so." She simply states.

"He could eat with the rest of the servants. That is, until we can figure something out." He adds.

In a moment of pause, Tabitha takes the time to reflect and goes through the conflicting thoughts in her head.

'That's not something that I would like. He might be a familiar, but he shouldn't just be treated like some king of animal. He seems like a simple man, but would he like being treated like that? No. Even if he wouldn't care, I am the one who summoned him here. That would be unfitting for the Ivaldi that I asked for. He could even end up being my closest friend. It also wouldn't look good if I treated him poorly. I am not that kind of person.'

"I want him to eat at the same time I do."

'I can understand her feelings.' The green-haired assistant thinks to herself.

"The principal said that this is something that will have to be discussed. Let me escort you out."

Tabitha nods to Lonngueville and she stands up to head out of the door. Longueville walks her out and shuts the door behind them. She suddenly stops, and Tabitha follows suit.

"I cannot offer this as official advice, but I have some personal suggestions." Longueville says to Tabitha.

Stoically, Tabitha stares at her and waits for the advice.

"It is not uncommon for some to eat in their rooms or even go down to the kitchen. Some of them just go looking for snacks or even ask for larger portions. You could always give anything extra to him."

In acknowledgement, the blue-haired girl gives her a nod in gratitude and understanding. Then she heads for the stairs that lead down from the office. Longueville opens the door and steps back into the office. She finds Osmond staring at her with a slight grin on his face.

"That was very sly of you, miss longueville."

She bows her head.

"I'm sorry if I overstepped . ."

He waves her off.

"That was quite alright. That will work for now."

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After visiting the principal and the kitchen staff, Tabitha eventually made it back to her room. She slowly and carefully opens the door. Then she walks in.

Kenshin, whom was sleeping, wakes up to the sound of the wooden door opening up.

'Intruder.' He instinctively thinks.

Not remembering where he is at, he swiftly jumps up from his resting position.

Tabitha barely hears the sound of his sword being unsheathed before she gets slammed against a wall and feels the cold metal of his sword against her neck. Her staff falls to the floor during the confusion.

'So, this is how it's going to end.' She thinks as she closes her eyes.

Kenshin sees her face and quickly realizes his mistake. He withdraws his sword.

"I am sorry miss Tabitha. I did not mean to do that. I forgot where I was and fell back into an old habit, that I did. Please forgive me."

After saying that, he prostrates himself in front of her. While doing this, he wonders something.

'Why didn't she seem afraid? Was she ready to die? Isn't she just a student?'

She feels her neck where his sword was near. There was no blood, but she could still feel as if it was still there. There is a small red streak along her neck.

'Should I be mad?' Wonders Tabitha.

She looks down at him.

'There have been times that I have had to react at a moments notice, just like he did. Except, he was much faster than I would have expected. I surely would have been dead.'

"It's okay." States Tabitha.

He looks up in slight dismay.

"You aren't upset?"

"No."

"That is an odd reaction, that it is. I did not expect that. I am sorry about your neck."

"You didn't cut it, so it will be fine." She says while she picks her staff back up.

Kenshin sheathes his sword. Then he steps over to her window and looks out into the courtyard of the school. A light breeze hits him in the face as he watches some of the students walking about.

"So, where am I?" Asks the battousai.

Tabitha settles into one of the chairs by her table.

"The lands we are in is called Halkeginia. The country we are in is called Tristan. This is the Tristan magic academy."

He quickly looks back to her.

"Magic? Isn't that just sleight of hand tricks that adults do for children?" He asks in a slightly dull tone.

She cants her head to the side in slight disbelief.

'Perhaps he really isn't from here.'

"Magic is real. It is taught to the nobles and to those that can wield it's power."

"I still find it hard to grasp even though it would explain some of the things that I have seen so far."

She waves her staff and her windows flap shut. It slightly startles him as he turns to it and then back to her.

"Was that supposed to be from magic? That could have been just a gust of wind."

She looks over to her bookshelves and a book glows and floats off of the shelf and over to him. He waves his arms all around it to see if there was something holding it up, but there wasn't. After he grabs the book, she proceeds to lift him up into the air.

"Woah!" He shouts.

He flails his arms and legs around. After a moment, when he realizes that he isn't going to fall, he stops his flailing and she sets him back down.

"I think that I am starting to believe you, that I am."

"Magic is also the reason why you are able to understand what I am saying."

"I guess that really is the reason why your windows flew open when we rode your dragon to your room."

She gives him a nod.

"You don't have magic where you are from?"

"Magic is just silly sleight of hand tricks that adults would do for children. Everything is done with our own two hands. There are no dragons either. Dragons are creatures of myth. It was kind of scary and amazing to actually see and feel one."

"What is the land that you come from called?"

"Japan. It is a country rich in land and traditions. It is a country starting to become prosperous once again, but through the price of much bloodshed."

'More than I care to talk about.' He mentally adds.

He becomes slightly distant and quiet for a moment. Tabitha could tell that her question put him deep in thought, but she still had some more questions. She uses her staff and a book of maps floats off the shelf and into her hands.

"Why do you carry a sword? Are you a warrior?" She asks while rifling through the book.

The question brings him slightly back to reality.

"Carrying a sword used to be commonplace where I came from. Those rules are changing. Swordsmanship was a way of life for many. You would live and die by the sword. I have since become a wanderer. That is all I am now. A simple wanderer, that I am. I have done chores and bartered my services for food and lodging. I was actually walking back from helping a person with his farm just before I ended up here. I came across a storm, and then a white oval disc appeared in front of me. It sucked me in when I touched it and then I ended up here."

"That was from my familiar summoning ritual."

"What is that? I have heard of being summoned before, but it is nothing like what brought me here. I am used to having to walk to wherever I am being summoned, usually from a person of power. What is a familiar?"

Tabitha reflects on what he said for a moment and then tries to come up with an explanation.

"A familiar is. ."

She scratches her head.

"Was usually some kind of creature that you would call for to be by your side. The creatures came in all kinds of varieties, but there were usually attuned to the element that the castor is attuned to. The creature would help out the mage in whatever way it could."

She stares at Kenshin whom seems to have the look of someone that was desperately trying to take in more information than he could handle.

'This is troublesome.' She thinks.

"A mage. Is that what you call the people that can cast the magic?"

She nods.

"These familiars. You make it sound as though that they were never humans."

She nods again.

"It has been unheard of since the days of Brimir."

He raises an eyebrow.

"Never?"

"Never."

"And who is Brimir?"

She looks up at him in slight awe.

'He must not be from this world. He hasn't even heard of Brimir. I have also not come across a country by the name of Japan in my book. There is one that is close though.'

"Brimir is the founder. He is the first mage and had the first familiars. He was the first and only person to have human familiars. That was 6000 years ago."

Kenshin's eyes go wide.

"I have never heard of such an important person. When you do this summoning ritual, does it pull creatures from nearby?"

"I thought it pulled creatures from around the world, but I am beginning to wonder."

Kenshin manually opens her windows back up, he is met with an odd sight with the slightly setting sun. In the setting sky, he sees two moons.

"Tabitha?"

"Yes, Kenshin."

"I am certain now, that I am truly not from here."

She stands up and walks over to next to him. She looks out into the sky with him.

"Why?"

He points out into the sky.

"Where I am from, I have never seen two moons."

Just then, there is a knock on her door.

She uses her magic to open the door, and just outside the doorway is a girl in a maid outfit. She is young, busty, and has black hair. She is also carrying a tray with food on it.

"Hello." The maid says courteously.

Tabitha gives her a nod.

"Thank you. You can put it right there." Tabitha replies while pointing at her table.

Kenshin looks at the girl who summoned him questioningly.

"While you were resting, I went to the kitchen and requested that my food be brought here."

After setting the tray down, the maid waves to him.

"Hello, I am Siesta. I am one of the maids at this school. You must be the other human familiar that was summoned today."

"Other human familiar?"

Siesta nods.

"It has been the talk all over the academy." She adds.

Turning his attention from the maid, Kenshin looks back over to Tabitha.

"Just before you were summoned, there was also another human summoned. He spoke similarly to the way that you were speaking."

"Really?" Kenshin and Siesta both ask.

Siesta realizes that she is overstepping her duties and quickly bows her head to the two of them.

"I am sorry for intruding. Please excuse me. I shall return later to check on you and collect the tray, if that will be alright?"

Tabitha gives her a simple nod.

"Please enjoy your food."

"Thank you, Siesta. You are very kind and polite." Says Kenshin to her.

'I feel an odd familiarity with her, but I can't place it. She couldn't be where I am from, but I just can't help this feeling.' Kenshin oddly thinks.

Siesta gets a smile on her face from the compliment as she walks away. She closes the door behind her.

Kenshin looks at the tray and removes the cover from the plate that was on it. It reveals a plate full of steak, potatoes, and green beans.

"That looks very tasty, that it does."

"I had to have it brought here. Since you are not a noble or a student, that you can't sit at the main dining table with me. It would cause too much trouble. I did not want to treat you like a dog. Familiars usually eat outside while their masters eat inside."

"This truly is a cumbersome problem. I am not taking you away from your fellow classmates, am I?"

She shakes her head.

"Not eating with them does not bother me. I prefer things quiet. The only one that it will bother, will be Kirche. She is probably the one person that I could call a friend."

He gives her a bow.

"Thank you for doing this for me. I do not wish to inconvenience you though."

"It will be all right. Let's eat before it gets cold."

"There is a problem though. I am not used to eating with these utensils."

She cants her head to the side.

"You do not know how to use a fork?"

He scratches the back of his head.

"I use what is called chopsticks. They are basically two sticks that you use to eat your food with."

"I could show you."

He nods while picking up the steak knife. As he picks it up, he gets an unusual gleam in his eyes.

"Is something wrong? That is a steak knife. It is for cutting our food up." Tabitha explains.

He stabs the meat and tosses it into the air, much to Tabitha's dismay.

"Hiten Mitsarugi style steak cut!"

As it comes back down, he makes a handful of extremely quick strikes at the steak. It lands perfectly back on the plate and now it is finely cut up.

He smiles and nods at his accomplishment.

She gives an astonished look at the food, then she looks up at him.

"Amazing."

"It was a part of my training. I haven't had a chance to use that in a while."

"Would like to see you do that again some time."

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Night.

"You aren't just going to sleep on the floor, are you?" She asks him.

"It will be fine. I have already discussed this with you, that I have."

The calm Tabitha lets out an exasperated huff.

"We shall go shopping tomorrow. You may rest on my blanket at least. I will just use the sheet."

"You are a lady. You should use that for yourself." He retorts.

She stands before him and they get into a staring contest.

He eventually concedes.

"Very well. If you insist. Do not be mad at me if you get a chill because of your stubbornness."

She nods and gives him the blanket from her bed.

"Thank you for your hospitality though. You are truly a nice person. There are others that are not as kind as you to someone like me."

She gets a light blush from his kind remarks toward her.

"Would you mind looking away? I wish to dress for bed."

He looks away as she changes into a robe behind one of her closet doors. She uses her magic to dress herself.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading my new fanfiction. I hope you enjoyed the second chapter.

Here is a list of my other stories

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 11

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete

My 'Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace' story is at Chapter 79 - Complete

My 'Teknoman And A Succubus' story is at chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3: Saito's Battle

Kenshin & Familiar Of Zero: The Wandering Familiar

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I do not own Familiar Of Zero or Rorouni Kenshin/Samurai X

 **AN:** Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Sorry for the long wait.

This chapter coincides with episode 2 of the Famliliar Of Zero anime

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

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Chapter Three

Saito's Battle

The young blue-haired girl slowly wakes up to a warmer feeling than when she went to bed. She opens her eyes and finds that she has the blanket over her. When she looks up, she finds Kenshin staring out of her window. She gets up and gets herself dressed while he continues to watch out her window.

"Been awake long?" She asks.

He gives a light shake back and forth.

"No, not long."

When she gets her cloak on, he realizes how much it covers her small frame.

"Breakfast?"

"It is hard to do work on an empty stomach, that it is."

"We can head to the kitchen."

"I still feel bad that you are going this much out of your way for me."

"It's fine."

He slips his katana into his obi and they both exit into the hallway. They start walking when another set of people exit their room as they pass by. One of them is a short pink-haired girl, followed by a Japanese boy wearing a blue top and jeans. After a few feet, Kenshin stops walking and the other boy, Saito, also stops and stares.

'Ancient Japanese clothing. Katana. Long red hair. Cross-shaped scar on his cheek.' Saito thinks as he goes through a check list in his head.

"What are you doing?" The pink-haired girl asks him in an annoyed tone.

'He looks Japanese, but I don't recognize the clothing. He has to be the one that Siesta was talking about though.' Thinks Kenshin.

Then, the boy's eyes slightly go wide as a realization comes to him and he points his finger at Kenshin.

"It's you!" Saito shouts at him.

Kenshin points a finger at himself as he questions why the boy is pointing at him.

"You're him, Kenshin Himura. Himura the Hitokiri battousai. Battousai the manslayer!"

After hearing all of those names, Kenshin quickly puts his hand on the hilt of his sword and gets into a fighting stance. This startles not only the three people around him, but also a handful of other students in the dorm hallway.

Tabitha stares at him after hearing him being called a manslayer.

"Who are you? How do you know that name? Are you a part of the Shinsengumi?"

Saito stumbles back against the wall and waves his hands back and forth.

"No, no, no! I am not a part of them!"

"Then explain yourself?"

"I know your name because you are from my history. I've even done some studying on you."

Kenshin shakes his head back and forth in confusion.

"Do you know him?" Louise, the pink-haired girl, questions.

She starts to raise her wand up in defense, but then Saito shoves her arm back down.

"What are you doing, you fool?" Louise shouts at Saito.

"I do not understand. How could I be in history books? I am not dead. History is only written about those that have passed."

"This is going to sound weird, but I am from your future. I am from the year 1999."

"1999? But that is over 100 years from my time period."

"Who is he, Saito?" Louise shouts at Saito.

Saito looks back to her with a lot of annoyance.

"He's an assassin from my past. He's killed hundreds, maybe even over a 1000 people during a revolution. That's why he is called a manslayer. It is rumored that he even ended up killing his-."

Saito stops what he was saying and covers his mouth as he realizes what he was about to say in front of the man he was talking about. He gets slightly pale and clammy.

"Killing my what? Finish what you were about to say." Demands Kenshin.

Saito gets a slightly sorrowful face.

"Your . . . lover."

The words hit Kenshin hard, and the memories which were already near to the front of his mind become even more so. He tries to put on a happy face.

"Well, Saito, perhaps you really are from the future. I am glad to have met another Japanese man. It is quite early though, and we were on our way to get some breakfast. I bid you good day."

Taking the cue, Tabitha also gives a polite bow, which is more like a nod, to Saito and Louise.

'Crap. Boy did I mess that up.' Saito thinks to himself as he watches them walk away.

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Kenshin and Tabitha are sitting at a small table just outside of the kitchen area. The atmosphere in the area is thick as the wanderer stares at his food. His last moments with Tomoe play over and over again in his head.

Tabitha stays quiet, but nibbles at her food like she usually does.

'It's a bit of a surprise that that other human familiar is from Kenshin's future. Kenshin did tell me that he was an assassin. How much of it is true? There has to be a story behind it. I would like to know, but I am not going to pry. Everyone has their own past. I am no exception. What Saito said, truly upset Kenshin. Even if he was an assassin, he cannot be that much of a cold-hearted killer. Otherwise, I would probably be dead.'

"Kenshin." Tabitha says softly.

He is taken out of his thoughts from the sound of her voice and he looks up.

"Yes?"

"You should eat."

"My apologies, but I am not very hungry, that I am not."

"You are troubled, but eat."

'Is she really worrying about me after hearing what was said about me? She is an odd one, that she is.'

He then takes a look at her plate.

"You don't seem to be eating much either."

"I don't eat much."

The pot and kettle look at each other hypocritically.

Kenshin is the first to break the moment of silence.

"I will eat if you do."

He watches her for a moment while she ponders on his proposal and then gives a slight nod.

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After eating breakfast, the two of them head outside. As they are heading out the doors, Tabitha softly tells him what is going on.

'Today is normally a school day, but we have the day off. We are supposed to bond with our familiars."

Just as she says that, they get to the courtyard and Kenshin pauses a moment when he sees all of the various creatures along with the students. Some of the familiars are normal animals like cats and hawks. Others are more fantastical like floating eyeballs and strange-looking giant insects. He places a hand on the hilt of his sword.

Tabitha sees this and places a hand on top of his. He looks to her and she shakes her head.

"Those are familiars."

"These strange creatures are familiars as well?"

She nods.

"You have not seen these before?"

He shakes his head.

"Never."

She lets out a sigh.

'How troublesome.'

"Just like you, these were summoned and came through portals to the students that summoned them."

"There you are!" Shouts a woman's voice.

The two of them look over as a tall and very tan woman runs over to Tabitha's side. The busty red-head gives her blue-haired friend a very big hug. She is wearing the school uniform, but the top shows off some of her cleavage as it is barely able to contain her. Her long red hair brushes against Tabitha's blue hair

"Hello, Kirche." Greets Tabitha with a slightly dull tone.

"Is that any way to greet your best friend? I missed you. You weren't at breakfast."

"I ate with him. He can't eat with us." Tabitha states as she points at Kenshin.

Kirche gets a mischievous grin.

"So, you were having a romantic date with your handsome familiar?"

Kenshin and Tabitha both blush at the inference.

'She is quite the insinuative one. Her attitude reminds me more of a man despite how attractive she is, and how she maintains herself. Then again, what do I know? I am not sure what women are like when they are just around each other.' Muses Kenshin.

"I will be honest. I was surprised that you summoned a human familiar as well. It kind of makes me feel a little bad for teasing Louise. It's one thing for the Zero to summon one, but you did as well. His clothing is very different from anything around here. It's a bit feminine-looking, but he is cute." Adds Kirche.

Kenshin looks at himself while trying to understand what she said.

Then, she decides to introduce herself while still holding on to her friend.

"Hello. I am Kirche Augusta Frederica Von Anhalt-Zerst. Tabitha's best friend."

He gives a slight bow.

"I am Kenshin Himura. The clothing that I am wearing is normal where I come from. It is called a kimono. There are styles for men and for women. Everyone wears them, and I assure you that what I am wearing is of the masculine type."

They look around and find that other people are looking at his clothing as well (also the fact that he is a human familiar).

Kirche lets go of Tabitha and kneels down to her familiar as it walks up.

"And this is my familiar, Flame. It's a fire salamander."

The red salamander that is the size of a dog wags its tale back and forth. The tip of the tale is on fire.

'I will have to ask Tabitha more about this whole familiar thing a little later.' Thinks the Battousai.

Tabitha spots an empty table and points to it.

"Let's sit over there." She plainly states to Kenshin.

They start to walk away, but Kirche stops Tabitha and whispers into her ear.

"Have fun bonding with your familiar." Kirche tells her with a lot of insinuation.

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Kenshin and Tabitha sit at a round, white table. The chairs are also white and elegant with curvy designs along the back.

Siesta had brought over some tea for the two of them and just walked away.

"How is it that the familiars are chosen for the familiar."

She looks up from a book that she had just brought out.

"They are attuned to the element that the summoner is. Kirche is attuned to fire. So, she summoned a fire salamander. You can never know exactly what you are getting though. Some say that the familiar is also chosen based upon the summoners personality or wishes."

"What do you mean by element, and which one are you?"

'How troublesome.'

She opens up her book to show him something, and he looks at it while scratching his head.

"I am sorry miss Tabitha, but I cannot read this."

'More troublesome.'

"I will teach you then. But I will explain this for you then. There are five elements. These are earth, fire, wind, water, and void. Void is extremely rare and that is the only element that has been written in history to have had human familiars. My case is unheard of."

'Odd. Perhaps there is more to those other reasons she mentioned.' Thinks Kenshin.

He looks up from his musings to find that she had her head back into her book. He decides not to bother anymore and watches the people around him. He gets on the man that he had seen earlier in the morning, Saito. He watches him bump into Siesta and interact with her.

Then, he watches Saito take a piece of pie over to a table with a blond boy that is talking to a blond-haired girl with long, curly hair.

After another moment, the blond boy gets a nervous look on his face after hearing something that Saito says. The blond girl seems to get angry while the boy tries to calm her.

A brown-haired girl walks into the area. She is wearing a brown cape instead of the one he has seen everyone else wear.

'That must be a first year, according to what Tabitha told me.' Thinks the battousai.

The girl spots the table that Saito was pointing at and runs over to the table, but the blond boy takes off with the blond girl nervously.

Kenshin watches even further as Saito directs the brown-haired girl to the blond boy and more arguing ensues. He hears the words two-timing come out.

The arguing gathers a crowd around them.

'Oh. So that is what this is partially about. Saito must have known something.'

The blond girl smacks the blond boy in the face and he falls down with everyone laughing at him.

"You just got dumped, Guiche!" Another Boy says.

Everyone laughs at the blond boy and he gets an angry look on his face while looking at Saito.

Kenshin takes this cue to get up and slowly walks over to where the others were at.

Tabitha, whom had been paying attention to him the whole time, looks up from her book and slowly behind.

'What's made him so curious. I wouldn't be bothering myself with them.' She muses.

They walk over and see that the blond boy has a red hand print on his face from being smacked. Then, he gets up.

"It seems that you do not know how to pay respect to nobility." The blond boy, Guiche, tells Saito.

'Oh. He's one of those.' Kenshin thinks as he listens.

Saito looks to the side with a smirk.

"Unfortunately, I come from a world that has nothing to do with that."

Kenshin wonders why Saito would say that.

"He doesn't? I certainly know all about people like that. Here, it is not just about the money though. It is also about being able to cast magic." Kenshin mumbles.

Hearing his mumbles, Tabitha responds.

"Apparently, Saito must also not be able to cast magic. You, him, and Siesta are all considered peasants because of that."

"Very well then. I challenge you to a duel." Guiche Says to Saito.

"A duel?" Saito replies.

"That's right, I challenge you to a duel! And you are nothing but a peasant and a familiar to boot. Yet you have mocked me." Guiche repeats.

'This is stupid.' Thinks Tabitha.

Kenshin Narrows his eyes in annoyance with every second he hears Guiche talk.

After some more bantering between the two, Guiche tells Saito where to meet him for the duel and walks away. A couple of students run off to tell the staff.

Louise walks up and grabs Saito by the hand and begins to walk off with him. The two start talking and Saito suddenly stops.

"I refuse." Saito tells Louise.

She looks back to him questioningly.

"Why do I have to apologize?" Saito asks.

With annoyance and anger written all over her face, she turns to him.

"You really don't understand anything. Peasants can never win against nobles. You'll be lucky if you get away with just minor wounds."

Saito angrily pulls his hand away from Louise's.

Kenshin slowly walks up to them while Tabitha hangs back and watches intently.

"Louise." Kenshin says an order to get the attention of the pink-haired girl.

"What is it that you want, Kenshin?" Louise replies in an aggravated tone.

Saito turns to Kenshin.

"Louise, I do not agree with the last thing you said."

"But it's true."

"It is not! Just because a person is a noble, does not mean that he cannot win."

"That's a lie!" She shouts back.

Saito tries to motion his hands to calm and stop her.

"You wouldn't understand because you are a noble and you act just like most of them do. You are made of the same things that peasants are made up of."

Louise's face looks as if he said something horrifying.

'I would tell her that I have killed nobles myself, but that is not something that I take joy in saying.'

"Louise, what he's saying is true. It is rumored that he killed a noble in broad day light." Saito tells her.

"I will say this to you, Saito. I understand what you are doing, and I will stand behind you all the way. You are being a little bit of a fool though."

"Why?" Retorts Saito.

"Do you have any way of defending yourself?"

Saito still storms off and finds out where he needs to go.

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The middle of the battle.

Kenshin stands there, watching the two of them fight. At the moment, it appears that Saito is not doing well, but refuses to give up.

Tabitha is standing next to him.

'If it weren't for Kenshin's interest in this, then I would have left by now.' The blue-haired girl thinks to herself.

Her thoughts are interrupted as Kenshin mutters to her.

"This battle is not just a battle between a noble and a peasant. This is about a man sticking up for his values. And, honor. That is why I choose not to help Saito or stand up in his place even though I feel he is being a fool. I hope that this does not upset you. You are a noble."

She shakes her head. Her hair flows with the shaking gently.

"I am not like them." She replies.

"Guiche, I think that is his name, is lucky that I am not in Saito's place."

"Hmmm?" Tabitha questions.

"In a fight do the death, like he is making it sound like, then he would have been dead by now."

Hearing him say that reminds her of the situation she was in when she came into her room and he thought that she was an intruder.

After being beaten down, Saito stands back up. Louise goes over and tries to stop him again.

Kenshin shakes his head.

"That girl still does not understand what is going on. She probably never will. She is like most nobles I have met over the years. They look down upon others that are below them. Nobles are not gods. It bothers me that almost everyone is watching this like some kind of side show attraction."

Tabitha looks up to Kenshin intuitively.

During Kenshin's drabble, Guiche flings a flower petal to Saito and it turns into a sword with a green hilt. Saito reaches for the sword and Kenshin notices something peculiar as Saito grabs it.

'The runes on his hand have started glowing.'

Tabitha notices this as well.

Saito looks as if his wounds have stopped hurting and he begins wielding the sword as if he has been doing it for a long time. He slices through all of Guiche's Valkyries.

'Either Saito is a natural with a sword, or those runes on his hand had something to do with it.' Observes Kenshin.

After defeating the Valkyries with ease, Saito gets right up to Guiche. Guiche falls back to the ground in horror and yields to Saito.

"To think that a noble would lose against a peasant." Announces the defeated Guiche.

Kenshin turns away with Tabitha following suit.

'I will have to congratulate him another time on his victory.' He thinks to himself as they walk away.

Just after they walk away, Saito passes out as the effect of the runes fades away.

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Shortly thereafter, they flew off to the nearby city to do the shopping that she had wanted to do. They flew over on her dragon.

As they were walking, Kenshin finds the scent of water in the air and they find themselves in front of a building with a sign on it.

"What is this place?" Kenshin asks.

"It's a public washing place."

"I hate to be a burden, but may I?"

She nervously looks around. She knows the kind of conditions that places like this for the commoners are like.

'I have been to places like these while on some of my missions.' The blue-haired girl thinks.

"We should find a nicer place."

He places a reassuring hand on her shoulder and shakes his head.

"I have been quite a burden for you already, that I have. You have been paying for everything for me. This cannot be any worse than some of the places I have been to from my home. I promise that I will not be long. I shall wash and change into the clothes that you bought until mine get clean."

She begrudgingly nods.

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After washing and changing into some simple common clothing, they continue on. He is now wearing navy pants and a whit tunic top. He has a leather strap around his waist that is holding his katana to his side.

As they walk down a street that has a bunch of vendors and shops, Tabitha suddenly stops. Kenshin stops and looks in the direction that she is staring. He finds that she is staring at a vendor selling books. Her eyes and her glasses have a glow in them that he has yet to see from the short girl standing next to him.

He also smells something good in the air from a nearby vendor that seems to be making kabobs.

"Miss Tabitha."

She whips her head around to him.

"Go ahead and look."

"We are shopping for you."

He shakes his head.

"You are welcome to shop, too. I wish to get myself something to eat anyways."

Without hesitation, she pulls out a few coins for him and quickly walks over to the man selling the books.

'She has the look of someone that just got some candy.' He muses.

He gets a couple of kabobs and sits on a bench. The kabobs have some pork, onions, and green peppers on them. One kabob is in one hand and the second is in his other.

While eating and watching Tabitha carefully rifling through the books from a distance, a person cautiously sits down next to him. The person seems somewhat tall and is wearing a light brown cloak. Some strands of long, blue hair stick out from the front of the hood that is up.

His attention gets taken away from Tabitha as the person sitting next to him glances at his un-eaten kabob in intermittent intervals.

Then, he hears a stomach grumble, and it is not his.

"Are you hungry?" He blatantly asks.

The person in the cloak vigorously nods.

"Would you like one?" He asks while holding out the other kabob to her.

The person whips around to him and he finally gets a glimpse of the person underneath the hood as it reveals a girl's face. She has bright eyes and long, blue hair. Her face is a little bit dirtied, but he could tell that she is rather pretty. Her cloak is hiding a rather large bust.

"Do you really mean it? I can have it? It smells so good." She asks softly.

He gives ger a nod and she hesitantly begins reaching for it.

"Is this for free, or do I need to repay you?"

"Just a simple thank you will do."

"Thank you."

He gives her another nod.

"You are very kind. Yes. Most men, especially the richer ones, ask for favors that I would rather not speak of or try to push themselves upon me."

"I have known many men like the ones that you speak of, and I assure you that I am not like that."

"Thank you very much. I live on my own and I don't really have much money. I refuse to steal though."

"That is very respectful of you." He replies.

"Sylphid."

"Huh?"

"Sylphid. That is my name. Yes."

"Well, Sylphid, I am Kenshin."

"Thank you, Kenshin. I will forever remember your name and kindness."

Just as she says that to him, he sees someone suspicious out of the corner of his eye. Being an assassin himself, he knows what people are like. The person is keeping a close eye on Tabitha.

Sylphid notices a change about him even though he seems to still be eating his kabob.

The man suddenly begins walking toward Tabitha.

Kenshin holds out the kabob to Sylphid.

"Here." He tells her.

She quickly grabs it from him. He gets up at a moment's notice and darts for the man. The runes at his joints glow and his movements become even faster than they were before. He ends up at the man within the blink of an eye. He has a hand on the hilt of his sword.

The suspicious man back up slightly in shock as he stares at the battousai. This gains the attention of other people around the area, raising a small commotion. The commotion draws Tabitha out of a book and she looks up to see Kenshin and a strange man eye to eye. Kenshin is giving him a death glare that sends a chill down his spine.

"Who are you? Why are you following Tabitha?"

"I am not. I am just . . "

"Liar!" Kenshin shouts.

The person takes a big gulp.

"Do not make me ask again."

The serious tone in Kenshin's voice lets the man know he isn't playing games.

"I . . I . . I am just here to follow her. Nothing more. I swear."

Tabitha watches in slight surprise and bewilderment.

"Who hired you?"

"I can't tell you."

"Would you rather die?"

The man vigorously shakes his head back and forth.

"Then tell me." Demands the red-haired man before him.

"Her uncle, King joseph."

Tabitha's eyes open wide in complete shock.

'He's been having people follow me?'

She closes the gap between her and her familiar.

"Miss Tabitha, did you know about this?"

"No."

"Is his presence wanted?"

She shakes her head no again and the man begins sweating.

"Leave, and never let me see you again. For if I see you again, it will be your last, that it will."

He runs away quickly. Very quickly.

Kenshin looks back to where his stuff was at and finds that Sylphid is no longer there. Then looks to Tabitha and she has a sour look upon her face. She has also turned even more pale than what she already was. She grasps onto the side of his shirt with one of her hands.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my fanfiction.

Yes. Syphid's character is going to be quite a bit more mature in this fanfiction because of her background, but she will still have a few kept habits like her love for food.

Here is a list of my other stories

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 12

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete

My 'Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace' story is at Chapter 79 - Complete

My 'Teknoman And A Succubus' story is at chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4: Scars Of The Past

Kenshin & Familiar Of Zero: The Wandering Familiar

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I do not own Familiar Of Zero or Rorouni Kenshin/Samurai X

 **AN:** Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

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Chapter Four

Scars of the past

After finishing their shopping in an uncomfortable silence, Kenshin and Tabitha made their way back to the academy and into her room. He unpacked some of the items and is now standing next to her window.

He has been reflecting over the events that just transpired while they were out while occasionally looking back at the blue-haired girl that summoned him.

She is currently sitting quietly at her table and seems to be reading a book.

'Why doesn't she say anything? It didn't seem like that man was there to look out for her well-being. There is something more here that she hasn't told me about yet. I know I have secrets from my past, but this is troublesome.' He thinks.

Then, he takes another look back and finds something peculiar. He lets out a small sigh.

"Miss Tabitha, I know that I cannot read your language, but even I can tell when you are reading a book upside down."

The petite girl gets startled out of her own thoughts from hearing his voice for the first time in what seemed like forever. She looks up at him in slight bewilderment.

Then he repeats what he had just said to her again. She quickly looks down at her open book and realizes that she did have it upside down. A light blush of embarrassment comes upon her face, but she still says nothing. She flips her book around and tries to pretend that didn't happen.

He reaches for the book from the top and goes to pull it away from the girl before him, but he finds it oddly hard to pull it away from her as she clenches it tightly. She tries to keep staring into the book. After a few more tugs, he is finally able to pry the book away from her.

She finally looks up at him and he could see the tension in her eyes.

"I am not one to pry into a person's past. I have my own issues. But I feel that this is something that we need to talk about, that I do."

"Alright." She quietly replies.

"Who is your uncle and why would he have someone following you?"

She fights back all of the emotions stirring in her body and coldly begins to explain.

"My uncle is King Joseph of Galia. He is my father's brother. My father, Charles, was chosen for the throne over him. My father died from a poison arrow while out hunting. He took over the throne."

'That sounds like the work of an assassin to me.' Kenshin thinks as he rubs his chin.

"Was the person who shot the arrow ever found?"

She shakes her head.

"What about your mother? Wouldn't she have ruled the country in his place?"

"My mother drank a poisoned drink that was meant for me and it turned her crazy. She doesn't even recognize me as her daughter anymore. She calls a doll by my name. My name isn't Tabitha. It is really Charlotte."

His eyes slowly get wider and wider with every detail she adds to her story.

"I am not fond of this Joseph fellow. Why aren't you doing anything?"

She looks slightly away.

"I am bound to do his wishes if I want to keep seeing my mother. Even if she is not herself anymore, she is still alive. So, he has kept me out of the picture by sending me to this school under an alias. He has also sent me on impossible missions. There is a person named Sheffield that runs his errands for him and she gives me the tasks."

Kenshin frowns in disgust and sorrow.

"How could a relative use his own niece like that?"

'This must be why she tries to keep to herself, and why she didn't fear death when I had my sword against her neck.' Kenshin reflects.

She doesn't reply.

A long moment of silence fills the already thick atmosphere as though time was standing still. She looks down at the table and he stares out the window.

Eventually, Tabitha speaks as she looks up.

"What about you, Kenshin?"

He closes his eyes while letting out another sigh.

"It is only fair." He replies.

Then he opens his eyes back up and faces her.

"I told you that I am a wanderer. I am that now. But, as Saito so blatantly stated, I was much more than that."

She intently focuses on him while trying to distract herself momentarily from her own troubles in fear of breaking from mental anguish.

"The names that Saito mentioned are all true. I detest being called those names, but I am the person he talked about. My country was fighting against itself against corrupt politicians. There was a change going on in my country, and I got wrapped up in it. I became an assassin. I am Battousai the manslayer. I have also been called the red devil. It was not only because of my red hair, but also because of the trail of blood left behind me. I killed a countless amount of people. Yes, I did kill a noble in broad daylight."

"And your lover?" She boldly asks.

He frowns.

"Are you sure that you have time for this?"

"You listened to me. Now I will listen to you, no matter what it is you have to say."

"It is a complicated story, that it is. It started off before I even met her, Tomoe." He begins.

He looks out her window again and up to the sky as the memories flash through his mind.

"There was a man that she was engaged to. He was assigned to guard duty for a man that I was sent to assassinate. The man told his guards to flee, but they still tried to defend him. They all died by my sword that night. The fiance spoke her name as he died. Be fore he died, He had also managed to make one of the cuts along my cheek."

'How am I supposed to feel that the man standing before me, the man I summoned, was an assassin?'

"During a night that I was attacked myself, I accidentally ran into a woman walking on a rainy night. She made a comment to me about making the rain red. I helped after she had collapsed. I did not know at the time that I had slain her fiancé until much later. Her and I fell in love over time. And she even saved my humanity. I would have gotten lost if it were not for her. She was my sheath."

'His sheath. A metaphor.'

"We had spent time together in hiding and pretended to be married. I was informed that she was a spy for a group that was out for my blood. The man that told me this also turned out to be a traitor amongst our midst. I was told she wanted to avenge her fiancé. But this was a ploy and a trick to break my mind. She was, in fact, a spy, but she had no longer wanted to kill me after our time together. We had become lovers."

'I have a feeling that this is where things get ugly.'

"I had woken up one morning and she was gone. I went after her distraught. I didn't know what to think. She and I were both tricked. She was used to lure me to a trap. They took advantage my week state and relentlessly attacked me. I was badly wounded, but I kept moving forward. In an attempt to save my live, she jumped between the leader of the group trying to kill me and I. She ended up being slashed by my own blade in the process. As she was dying in my arms, she made the other cut in my cheek."

Even though she didn't show it, his story pained her heart.

"That's a sad story." She tells him.

He looks back over to her.

"That it is. I will never forget her. She has been one of the most important people in my life, and I am the one that killed her. After that, I finished what I had started, but then I turned into a wanderer after that."

The rest of the evening goes by rather quietly with an atmosphere that was chokingly thick. Both of the room's occupants reflecting on the thoughts of not only their own pasts, but each-others.

Night seemed to come quickly, and they eventually just settle in for the night. He settles onto a thick pad that resembles a Japanese futon, and partially covers up with a blanket as he leans against her book case as he did the night before.

He gives her some final glances before closing his heavy eyes.

'What should I do, Tomoe? Should I help her? I cannot stand the man that claims to be her uncle. She did not deserve this life. But if I do this, then I may end up having to break my vow and kill again. What should I do?'

Those are his final thoughts before drifting off into a slumber.

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Kenshin is in a dimly lit room. He is naked with a woman that is also naked in his arms.

The woman has long, dark hair. Her bangs go down to eye level. She has pale skin. They lie with a large blanket wrapped around the both of them while sitting upright.

The room is silent until the girl speaks up ever so softly.

"Kenshin?" She says softly.

He looks down and her and she turns to look up at him.

"Yes, Tomoe?"

"Save her."

He gives her a puzzled look. She slowly raises her hand up to his left cheek. He could hear blanket softly shift with her movement. He closes his eyes to her touch.

"Kenshin?" She says to him.

He finds something odd about her voice now. It no longer sounds exactly like her voice.

"Kenshin?"

He hears the voice say again.

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"Kenshin?" Tabitha says to get his attention.

A moment of pause as he slightly stirs.

"Kenshin?" She softly says again.

His eyes start to open his eyes and he sees Tabitha bending over to him while he sits on the futon.

He realizes that the voice he heard calling his name was Tabitha and that he was just having a dream about Tomoe.

"Your scar. It's bleeding." She states.

In her hand is a small cloth that she places over the scar on his left cheek. It soaks up the blood that was coming from it. His hand grazes against hers as he holds the cloth.

"Is this normal?" She asks as she stands back up.

He pulls the cloth away and sees an -shaped blood mark on the cloth.

"No. It has not bled in years."

'This must be my sign. Thank you, Tomoe. I now know what I have to do. Perhaps this is what she meant by the familiar being decided upon the wishes of the one who summons it.' He thinks to himself.

He stands up and gives Tabitha a determined stare.

"Miss Tabitha."

"Yes, Kenshin?"

"What do you want?"

She cants her head to the side in slight confusion. Then she replies with the first thing that pops into her head as to what he might be asking about.

"For breakfast?"

He runs his hand over his face.

"I suppose that might be a good question too, considering we didn't eat dinner, but that is not what I am asking about. What do you want to achieve? What do you want for yourself, for your mother, and for your uncle?"

She narrows her eyebrows as she focuses on the question that has now stirred up every emotion that she has been holding back. They boil to the surface.

Her fists clench and her teeth momentarily clench as well.

"I want. . . I want. . . I want my mother back. I want her sane again. I want my life back. I want to be free from this jailed life that I am living. I want my uncle taken off the throne. It's not fair that he's done all of this and doesn't pay the consequences."

She fights back her emotions and the tears that with to well up in her eyes.

He nods in acknowledgment of her desires.

"Very well. Then I will vow to you to help you achieve all of those things. We will take that man whom I refuse to call your uncle out of power."

"Do you really mean that? Can we actually do this?"

He nods.

"It would not be the first time that I have dealt with corrupt nobles after all, but we will need to prepare for this. You will have to make the greatest preparations of all, though."

"What do you mean?"

"You will need to prepare for what may come from us taking him out of power."

"What are you suggesting?"

He gives her a serious look.

"We go straight after him."

"You plan on taking on the whole country."

"If I have to, yes. But that is not exactly what I am thinking. I was an assassin. I will cut off the snakes head directly."

"Shouldn't I be the one to do that? It is my problem after all."

"No. I have something more important for you to do. You will need to protect your mother. As soon as it is figured out what we are up to, it is likely that she will be targeted as she is defenseless in her current state. I would rather do this alone anyways. It is easier this way for me. I will not have to worry about accidentally injuring you if you aren't around. Besides, my hands are already sullied."

'I still can't believe how he has killed so many at his age.'

"That doesn't make it any better. What about curing my mother?"

"We will have to worry about that afterwards. We must first take out the most necessary task first. We will leave in three days."

Her eyes go wide.

"Three days? Why so soon? Shouldn't we plan a little more?"

"We will need to plan, but we need to take advantage of the situation. I will need your brains for the planning. If we wait too long, then he will start observing me and planning on how to take measures against me. No. I don't want that. I am already at a disadvantage because I am not able to cast magic. We need the element of surprise. I am used to working like that anyways. I was sent out on a moment's notice and had to act quickly. Three days should be good. You will have to skip class though. I need to train to fight against mages."

"How are you so sure that we can do this? I want to believe you, but we are going against great odds."

"I have permission, and I refuse to not only let you down, but I also refuse to lose against someone like him. I shall swing my sword for you."

All of a sudden, their stomachs grumble.

"I suppose we should wait to do this til after our bellies have been filled." He states

"Agreed." She replies.

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After breakfast. Principal Osmond's office.

"Why is it that you wish to take three days off?" Old Osmond asks while stroking his beard.

"My familiar is only an up and coming swordsman. He is not yet very acquainted with the sword enough to my standards though. He is rather, sub par."

Her face is very stoic and serious looking.

Kenshin raises an eyebrow.

'Sub par.' He muses.

"I wish to train him hard over the next few days and then return to my school duties."

'What is she planning on doing? If she goes out of line, Joseph will not let things go unpunished. I know this all too well.' Miss Longueville, the green-haired girl, thinks to herself as she stays busy with papers at her own desk.

"Your grades and abilities are exceptional. As long as I have your word that you will return to your studies after these three days, then you have my permission."

She bows her head.

"Thank you."

Kenshin takes the cue and bows his head as well.

"It is nice to have met you, Kenshin Himura."

"It is nice to have met you as well, Mr. Osmond." Kenshin replies.

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In a training portion of the courtyard, Kenshin and Tabitha are well within a hard training regimen.

After his experience at the shopping district, Kenshin realized that the runes all over his body help his speed as if the wind is pushing him faster.

To prevent him from getting too close, Tabitha casts a spell to create a wall between her and him.

"Earth, robust mother, answer my wishes and become a moving wall."

A wall of earth begins forming building up.

Kenshin stops running and his runes glow again as he unsheathes his sword and swings at the wall. His sword strike leaves a glow in it's wake with the speed at which he makes it. With incredible speed, he not only slices at the wall, but Tabitha notices that his swing acts as though he had casted wind strike along with it. The blast of wind causes some of the shards of rock to fly away.

His eyes go wide.

"This is certainly new, that it is."

"Agreed. Perhaps the wind force that has added to your speed, has also inadvertently added to your sword strikes." Adds the blue-haired girl.

"I will have to take this into consideration." He says while looking at his sword.

Then, he looks back at her and gives her a curious stare.

"Is something wrong?" She politely asks.

"What was that whole thing about my sword technique being sub-par?"

She shrugs.

"It sounded good, and he did believe it."

"That he did." He replies amusingly.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my fanfiction.

Here is a list of my other stories

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 13

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete

My 'Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace' story is at Chapter 79 - Complete

My 'Teknoman And A Succubus' story is at chapter 3


	5. Chapter 5: Friends And Fools

Kenshin & Familiar Of Zero: The Wandering Familiar

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I do not own Familiar Of Zero or Rorouni Kenshin/Samurai X

 **AN:** Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

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Chapter Five

Friends And Fools

"Wind strike." The blue-haired says while being engaged in battle with Kenshin.

With a swing of her staff, a blade of wind slashes through the air at the battousai. He quickly draws out his katana and his own wind blade slices through the air. With nearly precise accuracy, his blade collides with Tabitha's and they dissolve.

If it weren't for the fact that class was in session, the two of them would have a rather large crowd amassing around them. The school grounds around them are magically reinforced with square magic.

His clothes were highly tattered from the battle between them that has been ensuing. They are also tattered because he has purposely let her hit him with one of her wind blades to find out what it feels like to be hit with one.

She raises her staff up and begins creating a spear, but she stops before she could create anything that could be substantial. In the blink of an eye, Kenshin is right in front of her. He stops himself just short of the range of his sword.

"Ryushosen!" He shouts as he makes an upward cut.

The actual slice avoids her because he purposely put himself out of range, but the force of wind behind his attack rushes at her and knocks her off her feet.

She rises up to a knee.

'If he were serious, then I would have died after that blow. I have never seen or heard of any sword techniques like his. Every minute I fight with him, makes me believe that this is more and more possible.'

As she finishes that thought, she looks up to see him smiling at her and with his hand extended to her.

"Thank you."

They go back to fighting after their little momentary break.

From a fair distance, she begins chanting her signature spell. Water droplets form in the area around her and a force of wind turns whose droplets into shards of ice and blast them at him.

"Icy wind."

In retaliation, Kenshin slices at the ground.

"Doryusen!"

The unexpected happens though. He was expecting portions of the ground to fly up into the air and launch at the ice shards, but he didn't take into consideration that the particular grounds that they were at were reinforced.

Knowing that the icicles were still coming, he jumps high into the air. He wasn't close enough to make his attack at Tabitha, but he avoids most of the shards. A few of them still manages to hit him.

After seeing that he did get injured, she begins rushing over to him. He winces slightly, but he stands up and faces her.

"Are you alright?"

"I will be fine. This isn't the worst that has happened to me. I have been through far worse. Let us continue. Attack me again with that attack."

She nods and goes back to where she was.

This time, when she makes the attack, he decides to counter it differently. The ice shards fly at him yet again.

"Ryusosen!

He makes a flurry of attacks so quick that Tabitha couldn't keep with him. The flurry of attacks would normally be meant to attack an opponent, but he instead uses them to attack the ice shards. None of them get through to him.

Her eyes go wide in surprise, but she continues on.

"Earth, robust mother, answer my wishes and become a moving wall."

As the wall forms in front of her, something flashes from behind it. She looks up to see him about 15 feet in the air.

'How did he jump so high?'

He comes down at her.

"Gust of wind."

A blast of wind shoots up at him, but he slices through it.

'If I continue this course of action, I might end up killing her.'

He changes the angle of his sword and he ends up taking some of the gust as he has to shield his eyes. There is a loud thump.

As he opens his eyes, he realizes that not only is he on the ground, but he is over top of Tabitha. Their faces extremely close to each other's. Both of their faces become slightly flushed.

"Oh, my." Comes a voice from the side.

The duo looks to the side and they see Kirche giving them a naughty smirk.

"How forward of you two, and out in the open."

Their faces turn completely red and they quickly separate.

"I am dying to find out what is really going on. This doesn't look like simple training or sparring. What is wrong?"

After letting out a sigh, Kenshin looks to Tabitha.

"If she is truly your friend, then perhaps I should let you two talk, That I should." He replies with a nod.

Tabitha gets a slightly startled look on her face.

"You think so? Is it really okay? Are you sure?"

"I don't see why not, that I don't. Besides, I would like to test my speed out further. I might even try going to town again. A good break is in order." Kenshin says to her.

Tabitha nods to him and then pulls out some coins for him.

"Are you sure about this, Miss Tabitha? I hate to be such a burden."

She nods to him again.

"You might want to change your clothes though."

He laughs and scratches the back of his head.

"I suppose that would be a good idea, that it would."

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After traveling at high speed from it being enhanced by the runes on his joints, he gets close to the town. He stops to take a break. The runes that he had been using stop their glowing. After he stops, a sudden urge comes over him and he ends up spitting up some blood. He also feels a little bit winded. He leans against a tree for a brief moment.

'Well. So that is how it is. Using this speed takes its toll on my joints. They all ache from that travel. The travel from Tabitha's mansion to the castle will be much farther. I cannot worry her about this detail though.' He thinks to himself.

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After a short break, he travels into the city and wanders around the shopping area for a little bit.

As he travels and looks at various shops and their goods, he could feel that someone was watching him.

'I feel a presence watching me, but it's not hostile.'

He quickly darts around a corner and waits. He hears rushed footsteps. When the footsteps approach, he quickly reaches out and grabs the person. Much to his dismay, he hears a squeak as he pulls the person.

He instantly recognizes the person from the blue hair hanging out of the hood.

"Sylphid, it is not wise to try to follow someone. One might get the wrong idea that you are an assassin."

She looks up from within her hood and he could see her pouting.

"I saw that it was you and I couldn't help it. I remembered how kind you were to me the other day."

Then, she scratches her head.

"Except, I didn't think of what I would do after I caught up with you."

She pouts again.

He lets out a sigh.

"Well, I am grateful that you aren't after my head, that I am."

She cants her head.

"I am not fond of eating heads."

She smacks her face.

'Crap. I can't believe I let that slip. That sounded really dumb if it weren't for the fact that I'm a dragon. I got careless with how comfortable I feel around him.'

He sweat drops.

Then, her stomach grumbles. He looks under the hood of her cloak and at her face. She could feel her face getting slightly flushed from his stare.

"You certainly are a hungry one, aren't you?"

"Sorry." She says shyly.

"I was planning on getting something to drink. Would you like to join me? Do you know of any good places that serve food and sake?"

"What's sake?"

He touches his chin in thought.

"I should have figured you wouldn't know what that was. How about anything with alcohol?"

She points a finger in the air.

"I have heard about a place called the enchanted fairy. I've never been inside of it, but I have heard of lots of people raving about it. But, are you sure that you want to go with me?"

He shrugs.

"Why not? Besides, it is better to drink with friends than to drink alone."

She gives him an accusing stare and points a finger at him.

"You're not planning on trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me?"

He puts his hands up defense.

"Oh, goodness no. I would never do such a thing. You don't have to drink of you don't want to."

She crosses her arms.

"Then I suppose it is okay." She tells him.

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As the two of them enter into the Enchanted Fairy Inn, they are greeted with an unusual sight of a bunch of young girls dressed in various colors of maid outfits.

Then, his eyes cast their sights on one particularly out of place individual. They are set upon what appears to be a scantily clad man that seems to be acting feminine. The muscular man has a mustache goatee. He is wearing makeup to emphasize his lips and eyes. The sleeveless crop top he is wearing is purple and fits tightly around his chest which is also muscular. He is also wearing tight shorts that barely cover him up and show off his legs. He is making very cute/girly poses as he talks to everyone.

Thinking back to his time period, the only people that he could think of that would

'Is he supposed to be an entertainer?'

"Welcome to the enchanted fairy." Everyone tells the two of them.

'Where the heck did I just bring us to? Are they all whores?' Worries Sylphid.

Kenshin doesn't think much about the situation and just goes to sit down at a round table, with Sylphid not too far behind him. As he sits down, he notices a girl with long, black hair behind a counter that seems to be wearing an outfit that covers her up a lot more than the other girls.

He sits calmly while Sylphid looks all over the place.

A girl in a green outfit with a matching green garter comes up to them. Her red hair lightly flows with her step. Her breasts also give a slight jiggle to them.

"What can we get for you today? Would you like a menu?"

Kenshin gives a slight nod.

"Yes, I would like a menu."

As she hands him the menu, he is reminded of something very important.

"I will be right back." The red-head tells him.

He takes a big gulp.

'I can't read this.'

The sweat he starts dripping gets noticed by Sylphid.

"Is something the matter, Kenshin. If it is too much, then we can go somewhere else. I don't wish to be a burden."

"I can't read the menu." He tells her softly.

"Huh?" She says in disbelief.

He lets out a sigh.

"I can't read the menu." He repeats.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you?"

"I am not from here."

This time, it is her that sighs.

"I don't understand but let me help you."

She takes her chair and scoots close to him.

"Hey, let me ask you something." She says to him.

"You may."

"How come you aren't affected by this? All the other men in here seem to be fawning all over these girls."

"I will admit that their outfits are quite a bit more revealing than I am used to, but I am familiar to this kind of treatment. These men are probably here for the women, but I am not. I wish to have a drink."

Then he looks at her and gives her a bright smile.

"Besides, I think that it is rude to stare at other women when one came with one." He adds.

She blushes.

Jessica, the dark-haired girl that seemed to be wearing more clothing than the others, overhears this as she walks by the two of them.

"Oh ho ho. So, you aren't enchanted by all the fairies in this forest? How noble of you. There aren't many men that act like that around here." Jessica tells him.

Then, she nudges Sylphid.

"It's definitely okay because you brought such a pretty girl with you."

This time, they both get a flush.

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As she sips at a goblet of wine that he gave her, he gives her a troubled stare.

'This is really good.' She thinks.

'Too bad I am not sharing this with Tabitha.' He thinks.

"Is something the matter, Kenshin?"

He hands her a few coins.

"I don't know if I will get to see you again after today. So I wanted to let you have these. It's not much, but it will help keep you belly full for a little while."

"That is awful kind and caring of you, but why? I would rather know that I get to see you again than to have your money."

Jessica swoons slightly as she eves drops on their conversation.

"I cannot fully explain why, but I will be going on a rather reckless and dangerous journey. I may not be back here afterwards."

"That's not fair."

"It is a shame. Even though I have not really gotten to know you, I feel like I have gained a new friend."

"Then don't go."

He shakes his head.

"This is something that I have to do. I do hope to see you again some time."

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After eating and finishing their drink, they leave the Enchanted Fairy Inn.

"Please come back again!" All of the fairies shout to them.

Jessica watches them as they leave.

'He's such a nice guy.' She thinks to herself.

They start walking and Kenshin notices a small girl with her mother. She was holding a small white flower that blows out of her hand and into the street. The little girl chases after it.

As the girl chases after it, Kenshin notices a carriage coming quickly down the road along with a couple of guards.

'That girl is going to get hit!'

Sylphid notices this too and thinks the exact same thing. She was about to run after the girl, but Kenshin darts past her. His red hair flashes before her eyes and the breeze that he creates makes her cloak and hair flutter. Her eyes can only go wide as she watches him.

Just before the carriage could reach the girl, Kenshin grabs her bridal style and carries her just past it's direct path. This action scares the horses and the carriage comes to an abrupt halt.

The mother of the child screams and runs over to Kenshin.

"Thank Brimir. You saved her. Thank you so much." The mother tells him through tear filled eyes.

Two guards get off their horses. The carriage door opens up and a stout man exits it. He is grabbing his forehead. He is wearing very flashy clothing with various purples and yellows.

"What is the meaning of this?! I have to get ready and get to the Valliere Estate."

"This man got in our way. He startled the horses." One of the guards tells him.

He takes a quick look at Kenshin.

"You let some commoner get in our way?"

"Pardon me, but your carriage almost hit this little girl, that it did." Kenshin tells the stout man.

"So what?"

Kenshin gets an annoyed tick.

"Even if she is only a commoner, she is still a human being. You would do well to remember that, that you should."

'This isn't good. He is getting into it with a nobleman.' Worries Sylphid.

She looks around for a moment, and then quickly retreats down a quiet alleyway and begins stripping.

"How dare you tell me what to do?! Do you realize who I am? I am Gaston del Chagnon. Guards! Arrest him for getting our way and insulting me."

Obediently, one of the guards tries to rush him.

'I wish we wouldn't have to do this. I better be careful if he really is a nobleman though. I would rather not cause Tabitha any extra trouble, that I wouldn't.'

Kenshin draws his sword slowly for the guard to react. The guard barely manages to avoid the blatantly slow attack, but then he gets slammed in his side from Kenshin swinging his sheathe with his other hand.

He quickly sheathes his sword and he looks at the other guard. The guard was about to attack Kenshin as well, but Kenshin thrusts his sheathes forward. The sheathe launches at the other guard and hits him in the face.

In a panicked rush, the lord fumbles for his magic wand. As soon as he manages to point it at Kenshin, it gets cut in half.

Kenshin points the sword right at Gaston's face. He stumbles backwards and falls on his butt. He starts peeing himself as he looks into Kenshin's glare.

"I detest corrupt people like you. You would be wise to change your ways. The common people are what make up your country. Their lives matter just as much as yours."

Right after saying that, there is a strong force of wind and he feels something grab onto him and lift him in the air.

As he gets taken away, Gaston stands up and shakes his fist at Kenshin.

"You will not get away with this!"

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While fleeing to the outskirts of town, Kenshin looks up and sees that he is in the clutches of a blue dragon that is about three times the size of a horse.

'Umm. I am not sure what to do in this situation.' He thinks to himself while rather startled.

He looks around frantically and his arms and legs flail around.

Sylphid, now in her rhyme dragon form, give the side of his face a lick. This calms him slightly.

At the outskirts of town, she sets him down and lands.

After he brushes himself off, he looks at the dragon.

"I might owe you a debt of gratitude, that I do. But, I don't remember making friends with any kind of dragon."

He gives the dragon a look in the eyes.

'Something seems oddly familiar about this dragon though.'

Before he could do anything more, Sylphid flies off.

'I wish I could have given him a proper good-bye.' She thinks.

'I hope Sylphid is okay.'

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After getting back, he enters into Tabitha's room at the school.

He instantly gets tackled by Kirche.

"Huh?"

"I can't believe your doing all that for her sake. Those are the traits of a really good man."

She rubs her face against his.

Tabitha and Kenshin both blush from the intimate display.

"Let me in on this too. I want to help you and Tabitha out. Let me help train with you and fight with you."

He manages to pry her off of him and he rises to his feet.

"I do not mind if you help me train, but you cannot assist me though."

"But I insist that I help."

Tabitha looks at him.

"She is very tenacious and persistent." Tabitha tells him.

He could tell that Tabitha looked exhausted from being around her.

He sighs.

"Perhaps you can help her, if she so desires. But you cannot help me. I must go alone."

Upon hearing that, Kirche latches onto her friend and smooshes her in an embrace.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my fanfiction.

Here is a list of my other stories

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 14

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete

My 'Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace' story is at Chapter 79 - Complete

My 'Teknoman And A Succubus' story is at chapter 3


	6. Chapter 6: Prelude To Hell

Kenshin & Familiar Of Zero: The Wandering Familiar

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I do not own Familiar Of Zero or Rorouni Kenshin/Samurai X

 **AN:** Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

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Chapter Six

Prelude To Hell

The middle of the night.

Kenshin had woke from his own restless slumber and is now leaning against the frame of the window in Tabitha's room.

The slightly chilled night air does not seem to affect him.

The night sky enchants his sight as he stares out and lets his mind escape into its abyss.

'I hope that this will end quickly. I don't know what the outcome will be if it drags out. All this magic could become troublesome if I get caught in even one spell.'

His thoughts get interrupted as he hears Tabitha stirring in her bed. His attention goes to her.

She is sweating and her head shifts back and forth. Jagged breathing comes from her as well.

"Mother."

'Her mother? Is she having a nightmare?' He wonders.

"No. Mother Don't . . ."

Her body starts shifting from side to side. She begins repeating her previous statements over and over.

'I guess I am not the only one with demons to face.'

Her voice starts to tremble, and her voice gets slightly louder.

'Is there anything I can do for her?'

Out of concern, he steps over to her bed.

"Please forgive my intrusion." He mutters softly as he gently sits at the side of her bed.

Even though he is at the side, his body is slightly shifted in her direction.

"It's going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay." He tells her softly.

She jerks up from her nightmare. He could see the panicked look on her face.

He raises up his hands in defense.

"I am sorry, miss Tabitha. I didn't mean to intrude, that I didn't. But, you were having a nightmare and I wanted to come to your side."

Tears begin flowing down her face and she lunges at him. He closes his eyes in preparation, but he doesn't get the hit that he was expecting.

"Huh?" He says aloud.

Then he opens his eyes and sees that Tabitha had leaned her body over his legs and wrapped herself around his torso. Her face was buried into his chest and he could hear her crying into it. The tears slowly soak into the shirt he was wearing.

He gently wraps his arms around her small frame.

'His embrace. It's so comforting. It's not troublesome.'

His urge to protect this girl in his arms comes even more so.

'This sensation of having her in my arms, is very welcoming. Do I really deserve this?'

He sits there with her as she lets it all out. She slowly calms don and she begrudgingly pulls away from his embrace. He gives her a soft smile.

"I'm . . . . sorry . . . for that outburst. I don't normally have someone here to comfort me like that. The urge just took me over."

He shakes his head.

"It's all right, miss Tabitha. I should probably leave you be now that you have calmed down, that I should."

He stands up and turns to walk away, but then another urge comes over Tabitha. He feels a hand grab his wrist. He turns his head to her. She quickly pulls her hand back away.

"Is something else the matter?"

She shakes her head no, but then she shifts the sheets slightly and pats the bed. Her face is fully flushed.

"Please, stay a little longer."

"I am not the kind of person whom you should aaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

'How troublesome.' She thinks as he begins talking.

His sentence gets cut off from her grabbing his hand again and pulling him into the bed. She quickly pulls the cover over them and she nestles into his back between his shoulders.

The covers go over her head, but not his. She did this to hide her embarrassment, but she is not the only one embarrassed.

'I guess it might be in my best interest if I do not move away again.'

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Morning.

As Kenshin wakes up, he feels weighed down. He opens his eyes and is reminded of what happened in the middle of the night as he sees the back of Tabitha's head. He is on his back and her head is resting on his chest. He could hear her breathing.

A huge blush comes to his cheeks.

His slight movements cause the blue-haired girl sleeping on him to finally wake up. She sits up and rubs her eyes. She opens them and sees a blurred figure on her bed. Quickly, she reaches for her glasses and puts them on. Now, it is her turn for her cheeks to get rosy.

The light shines into the room.

"It seems later in the day than when we usually wake up. Did we over sleep?"

"I slept better than I have in a long time. You must have been really comfortable. Thank you for staying with me." She tells him while also turned away from him.

Then, there is a pounding at the door.

"Hey! Are you two awake in there or are you doing something inappropriate?" Kirche asks from the other side of the door.

They look at each other for a brief moment.

"We cannot let her see us like this." Tabitha says.

Kenshin nods.

"That we cannot." Kenshin adds.

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Later, in the courtyard.

Kirche lets out a blast of fire at Kenshin. Kenshin's runes activate and he rushes at the fire head-on.

"Ryukansen tsumuji!" He shouts.

He leaps into the fire horizontally and spins in a drill-like motion at Kirche.

"Kirche, move!" Tabitha tells her.

Kenshin inwardly sighs as he barrels at Kirche. He retracts his sheathed sword.

"Huh?" Kirche mutters back to her friend.

Unaccustomed to Kenshin's moves, she doesn't move in time to dodge his attack.

Tabitha fiercely blushes as she sees him slam head first right into Kirche's enormous chest and they both fly backwards.

After landing, he lifts his head up from her pillows and realizes where his head just was. She gets a mischievous grin and was about to make a remark to him, but he was gone the next moment and preparing to face Tabitha.

'Awe. He's no fun.' Kirche inwardly whines.

She also clutches her chest.

'He is really full of vigor though. The fire I felt from within him as he attacked me was intense.'

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Later.

Kirche had walked away and it was just Tabitha and Kenshin.

Tabitha stopped and stared as she watched a particular pink-haired girl approaching them.

"This cannot be good."

Kenshin also looks after Tabitha's announcement.

He sees Louise walking toward him. She seems to have bags under eyes. He was also curious about the person following much further behind her.

Far behind her was also Guiche.

He sighs.

'Those are the last two people I wish to see right now, that they are.'

Louise approaches them with a pissed off look on her face.

Guiche stops as he watches Louise.

'I will watch for now and make my grand entrance. I am more prepared today and I will prove that commoners cannot win against nobles.' Guiche thinks to himself.

Louise points a finger at Kenshin.

Then he points a finger at himself.

"You! It's your fault Saito is unconscious! Why did you tell him to keep fighting and why did you stop me?"

Kenshin calmly walks up to her even though he is annoyed.

"I am sorry that he is unconscious, that I am. But, I am not sorry for stopping you and urging him. You and Guiche needed to be taught a lesson about commoners. Saito needed to stand up for himself and he did. If Saito would have taken that battle seriously, then Guiche would have perished at Saito's hands. Those runes of his gave him the prowess he needed to win."

Louise gets a surprised look on her face at Kenshin's declaration about Saito's runes.

"He certainly would have died at my hands if he had fought me. Nobles tend to overestimate their abilities when facing opponents that they think are beneath them."

"How dare you?! I challenge . . . "

Before she could finish her statement, Kenshin releases his fighting intent toward Louise, but it also manages to affect Guiche.

Tabitha's eyes go wide as she witnesses the results.

'What is this feeling?' Louise and Guiche both think.

Louise drops to her knees and clutches her chest.

'I haven't felt anything like this since the time I visited my father's training grounds for his army. Even then, it wasn't anywhere near this intense.' Guiche also thinks.

"I have no time to deal with your petty tantrum. Go back to him and watch over him until he awakes. It would do you well to rethink your views. I also do not want to ever hear about you mistreating him. You would not like the outcome of me visiting you because of those circumstances."

He turns away from her and releases his intent.

Guiche gets a terrified look on his face and runs away to rethink things.

Louise catches her breath and rushes back to her room.

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After classes end for the day, Kirche becomes flooded by male students that offer her all kinds of gifts and preoccupy her time.

Kenshin lets out a sigh.

"It is like this all the time for her, isn't it?" He asks Tabitha.

She nods.

"Has she ever even slept with any of them?"

She shrugs.

"I do not know. She has never mentioned it though."

'Why would she act like that then? She doesn't seem to really care for anyone in particular. She seems to just be flirting with them to no end. Perhaps it is none of my business. It is her life and she can do with it as she pleases. I just hope she doesn't do anything that would cause her not to be in Tabitha's life.'

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Walking up the spiral staircase to Osmond's office, Longueville is deep in thought. She is carrying a bunch of books and papers. Her steps are slower than usual. Eventually she comes to a stop.

'I've been watching them every day. He is no amateur. His fighting prowess is insane. What are they training for? Is she training for a mission, or could she be planning on taking the throne from Joseph? If she does that, then what am I going to do? He is the main reason I am fighting for Reconquista. They are using the children I am trying to protect against me. If she takes over, then where does that leave me? Do I continue the fight for Reconquista? Do I still go after the staff of destruction?"

She sighs and leans against the wall. Her eyes close momentarily.

'Maybe she would be willing to help me. Even if she doesn't, would she at least help out the children? I don't even care about Reconquista anymore, just those children. This is all so exhausting. If I try to help her and she fails, then things will become worse for me and the children. If I turn her in to Joseph, then what? He would find out that I know about her ties, but would he reward me for me doing that? What would happen to her? That would end up on my conscious as well.'

She clutches the books and papers tightly in frustration and lets out another sigh. She tries to recompose herself as she gets back to her trek to the office.

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Kenshin, Tabitha, and Kirche were conversing in Tabitha's room.

They are all looking over a map.

"After we pass by Lagdorian lake, we will be in Gallia. It will take some time to get to the mansion. With your speed, I am not exactly sure how long it will take you to get to the palace from there." Tabitha tells him.

"Hopefully I will be there for night time or early morning. Either of those times will be best for an attack. If not, I might have to wait it out. Attacking during the day would be rather difficult with all of the guards awake and light to see me."

"Are you sure that you want to try this alone?" Kirche asks worriedly.

He nods.

"There is no other way. I won't have to worry about accidently hurting either of you during my attacks. Besides, there is no certainty who will be sent to the mansion to kill her mother. I am confident with the abilities of you two."

Kirche looks to her friend and smiles.

"I would gladly help you protect your mother, Tabitha." Kirche tells her.

Tabitha gets a small smile on her face.

"How will we know if you succeed though?" Tabitha asks.

He scratches the back of his head.

"That's a good question, that it is."

They all deadpan.

"I suppose if Joseph doesn't show up within a handful of days for you, then you will know I succeeded." He tells her in a slightly sarcastically happy tone.

They sigh.

"In all seriousness, I don't know of any other way. I will try to figure something out when I complete the task."

"What would you do afterwards until we get there?" Kirche asks.

He gives her a serious look and without hesitation, he answers.

"Protect the palace."

Tabitha doesn't flinch, but she is deeply surprised by his reply. Kirche's mouth drops.

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That night.

Kenshin had changed out of his kimono and hakama into some nightwear.

Tabitha had also just got through changing and they were starting to settle in for the night. They were turning in early to get an earlier start.

He was starting to pull his cover over himself.

"Goodnight . . . "

As he is telling her this, he looks up to see that she had her covers shifted to the side and was patting the bed again. Her face was flushed in embarrassment.

He starts to shake his head.

"Miss Tabitha, you are a princess. I tried telling you last night that I am not the kind of person you should have in your bed. You deserve better than me."

She shakes her head.

"Don't care. You're comfortable."

He sighs.

"Last night was the first time in a long time that I had even slept next to another woman."

She cants her head.

"So?"

He sighs.

"You should sleep next to a man that you wish to be with for the rest of your life."

'He is being troublesome.' She notes.

"I don't mind being around you. There are no other men in my life that I would want to be around like this."

"Aren't you too young to be around someone like me?"

"People are being engaged to older men all the time. Our ages aren't that far off either. All we are doing is sleeping next to each other anyways."

'I can't argue with the engagement part. That happens a lot where I even came from.'

"But . . " He still tries to argue.

"Kenshin. Please just come."

He crosses his arms.

"I refuse."

She stands up and gets a frustrated look on her face. She crosses her arms as well. Her green nightgown glistens in the light from the moons. She gives off a very strong aura as she is determined to get what she wants.

'Why does he have to argue with me so much. Does he not realize how nice he has been to me? I don't care what he is like or that he is a commoner. He is so much more than that to me.'

"I could always crawl into bed with you on the floor." She reasons back.

'Damn this girl. Doesn't she understand that a man with bloodied hands like mine is not the kind of person she should be around? She certainly is a determined girl. Will she forget all of this after everything is all over and toss me aside? Perhaps I should just give in to her though. She has been one of the nicest people towards me. She lives in a society where commoners are treated like dirt. She is a princess, yet she has treated me like a normal person. I will say, that being with has been nice. I find myself asking if I really deserve this though, that I wonder.'

"Are you sure this is what you really want?"

She nods.

"Even after all of my arguments?"

"Irrelevant." She tells him.

He sighs yet again.

"Fine." He tells her as he gives in.

She quickly turns around and gets into her bed. She takes off her glasses and sets them on the night stand next to her bed.

'What would Kirche say if she saw me like this?' Tabitha wonders.

Then she imagines all of the dirty things that Kirche might say to her and a bright red hue comes over her. Then she shakes her head to drive it all out.

"Is everything all right, Miss Tabitha?"

She nods.

He climbs into her bed again for the second night in a row with his back facing her. She moves some of his red hair out of the way and nuzzles into his back again.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my fanfiction.

I did alter a couple of previous statements mentioned in previous chapters. I said that it was Tomoe's father that went after Kenshin. I was corrected. It was not Her father, but the head of the group assigned to go after Kenshin.

Also – Outside of a review of the chapter, let me know if there are any OC's from my other Familiar Of Zero story that you would like to see more of (except the spirits). I know a lot of readers came from that story, so I am putting this out there.

Here is a list of my other stories

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 15

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete

My 'Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace' story is at Chapter 79 - Complete

My 'Teknoman And A Succubus' story is at chapter 3


	7. Chapter 7: The Fall Of A Kingdom Pt1

Kenshin & Familiar Of Zero: The Wandering Familiar

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I do not own Familiar Of Zero or Rorouni Kenshin/Samurai X

 **AN:** Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

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Chapter Seven

The Fall Of A Kingdom Pt. 1

The following morning.

Tabitha was about to finish getting dressed when she pauses. She looks at the ribbon that she wears with her school uniform.

Kenshin notices her pause.

"Is something the matter, miss Tabitha?"

She gives him a soft smile and shakes her head. After that, she slowly walks over to him and reaches toward his sword.

He stops himself from instantly backing away and gives her his trust.

She reaches out with the hand that was holding the ribbon and she ties it to the hilt of his sword. She has a slight blush on her cheeks as she done this.

"What is this for?"

"Aren't women supposed to give their knight something for luck and so that they come back alive?"

"I'm not sure about knights, but women do such things where I come from."

After an awkward moment of silence, Kenshin speaks again.

"Thank you."

She nods while looking away.

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The ride to Tabitha's home was very strenuous and it could be cut through with a knife. The entire trip was spent making meaningless chit-chat to keep suspicions low for anyone that would be using enhanced hearing to listen in the carriage's cabin.

Tabitha notices something as they pass by Lagdorian lake (a lake along the border of Tristan and Galia).

'Hmmm. That lake seems to be bigger than what I remember it being before.' Tabitha notes to herself.

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A couple days later.

Tabitha goes over what Kenshin had gone over with her before they started on their journey.

'When you are at your mansion. I will not be there. The only people you can trust are yourself and Kirche. You cannot trust anyone else. I would not put it past Joseph to have a spy amidst the staff. Even the people you think you can trust at the mansion could be spies/assassins.'

As she remembers this, she looks to Kenshin and Kirche very stoically.

'Looking at them, especially Kenshin for some reason, makes me feel calm. They are here for me. My best friend will help me protect my mother. I know that I haven't known Kenshin for all that long, but I know I can trust him. A lot of this mission is riding on him, but I somehow how that he can do it.'

Just as she thinks this, the carriage slowly comes to a halt.

"We're here." She announces.

The driver of the carriage gets down from the top and opens the door for everyone.

Tabitha and Kirche are the first to get out. Just as they turn their heads to watch him get out of the carriage, he jumps out and takes off in the direction of the palace without even uttering a word. His runes glows and a breeze follows his path as he runs.

Tabitha feels slightly down from his lack of parting words, but she understands.

'That's not fair to her. Everyone knows that the hero is supposed to have some kind of farewell, even if it is just a kiss.' Kirche thinks to herself.

As the two of them approach the mansion, the front double doors open. The main trusted butler is standing there with a smile on his face to greet them. Two maids are holding the doors.

They all give her a bow.

"Hello, lady Tabitha. It is good to see you again. It has been a while. Would you like anything to eat or drink? I see you have brought a friend along."

He narrows his eyes as they dart back and forth.

"Wasn't there a young man with you just a moment ago?" He asks.

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After traveling for a rather long time at the speed he was going, he feels a sudden urge coming over him and he slows down to a stop in a nearby forest area.

He drops to his hands and knees and vomits uncontrollably. The burn from it stings his throat and there is also the familiar taste of blood within his mouth.

He pants a number of times after he finishes and spits a few times.

'Everything aches. I cannot let this stop me though. I have to keep moving forward. I shall sit a few minutes and then get back on my way.'

Trying to relax his body, he sits and rests his back against the tree he was next to.

Even though his body is utterly exhausted, his senses pick up on a presence with ill intent.

He forcefully shifts his body to the right and manages to barely dodge and arrow that gets impaled into the tree.

'That arrow was completely silent. Maybe there was some kind of magic mixed with it. I can usually pick on the sound of an arrow.'

"That was pretty good." A voice tells him.

The voice seemed to have come from all around him.

'Damn. I can't pinpoint his location.'

Trying to get past the pains from all over his body, Kenshin focuses on his surroundings and getting back to his instincts as an assassin.

Kenshin catches a small gleam from another arrow at it comes at him from a different direction than the last one. He swiftly draws his sword and deflects the arrow.

"I have to admit, you are quite tenacious. I didn't have much time to prepare for your arrival."

'Prepare for my arrival? He must have been sent by Joseph. I knew that they would try to prepare for me.'

"It would be best if you just let me go without a fight. I would rather not shed more blood than I have to." Kenshin tells the man.

"You sound like someone that has an occupation just like mine, an assassin." The assassin replies.

A series of arrows get shot at Kenshin, causing him to move back from one direction to another, barely dodging them. A third arrow causes him to activate a trip-wired trap and there is an explosion. The explosion flings him back and a shard from a tree impales his left shoulder. He quickly yanks it out and tosses it at the ground.

'He set up explosives as well. Hopefully he wasn't able to set up too many of those. If I get too careless, it could be the end of me before I even get to the castle. I cannot allow myself to die here, that I cannot.'

Amidst the smoke, he slashes at several trees. As one falls, another explosion is heard.

"That was pretty clever of you. That also must be a pretty sharp sword that you have there. It's going to be a shame to kill you, but it will also be a lot of fun. I haven't had a truly good opponent in a long time. Even the late king wasn't all that much fun. It's not like I got to actually battle him up close though. But, that's the life of an assassin."

Kenshin shakes his head.

'He was the one that killed Tabitha's father.'

"I never once thought of being an assassin as fun. Now I know that I have to kill you though."

"Oh? And what happened to not wanting to shed more blood?"

"I despise men that kill for fun, that I do. But I will not allow the person that killed Miss Tabitha's father to live."

The other assassin laughs.

"That's rich, considering your position."

During a faint moment of pause, Kenshin hears slight muttering as the assassin casts a spell.

'I've got him. That must be how he's getting around. He must be casting different spells every time he switches between talking and moving. He must be pretty confident in himself to waste spells like that.'

Kenshin launches many wind blades as he uses his ryusosen technique. The technique sends a flurry of wind blades into the trees and bushes. Amidst the confusion, Kenshin ducks behind another tree.

"Is that the best you can do, assassin?" Kenshin probes.

Kenshin focuses again and he hears the assassin casting a spell again. He instantly rushes for him.

"Gah!" The man shouts and he jumps up into a tree. He casts another spell and he bgins flying into the air.

"Now how are you going to get me?" He boasts at Kenshin.

Kenshin gets a determined look on his face. Then he jumps and repels himself off of one tree and into another. Kenshin hollers out as he thrusts his sword upward with both hands. The strikeinstantly kills him as it passes through the man's lower jaw and through the top of his head. Blood drains down onto Kenshin as they come back down.

After he pulls the sword out from the corpse, he gives it a quick fling to shake off the blood and sheathes it.

"It's time to move on."

He gets back on his trek to the palace.

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With nightfall giving him cover, he approaches the palace without hesitation.

Even with his cover though, he is still spotted, and horns are blown.

Several mages along the top of the palace walls hurl fireballs in his direction. He quickly evades them with his speed.

Several guards laugh at the idea that one lone man is trying to invade the palace.

A couple dozen guards exit out of the palace's outer gate and the gate lowers behind them.

Kenshin heads directly into the onslaught of guards, mercilessly taking them on. Several of them fall at one time when he uses the ryukansen. He does a spin with his sword. With the guards quickly falling, one of the mages uses a lightning spell against Kenshin, but he quickly uses one of the guards as a shield.

'Are they that eager to kill me that they are willing to sacrifice their own men?'

After killing the guards, he notices that archers also formed along the top of the outer walls. The wind wails with a wave of arrows. He slices into the air and a wind blade easily stops the volley of arrows.

From the distance he sees and hears more men coming in his direction.

'More men must be coming from an outside encampment.'

He dashes towards the walls.

"What the hell does he think he's doing?" One guard tells another.

"He's a fool if he thinks that he is going to cut through these walls." Another replies.

Just as they say that to each other, Kenshin gets to the wall and shoots up with a rune empowered boost. As he jumps up onto the walkway, he kills one guard by making a downward slice upon his head and cleaves through him into the other guard.

He quickly moves onto killing the person in charge of the gate so that he can't let any other guards in.

After killing him, Kenshin moves on through the courtyard to the side of the palace. He gets ambushed by more guards and several wolves that were used for guard dogs. During the scramble he takes a stab to his side and one of his legs gets bitten, but it doesn't take long for him to kill this group as well.

Moving on, he spots a glass window that Tabitha had pointed out to him. He uses the same technique that he used to get over the wall, to get in through the window. Glass shatters everywhere as he crashes through the window. His face takes no cuts because he shielded himself, but his right hand gets a small cut and his clothes gets a little bit tattered.

He looks up and down the hallway while remembering which way Tabitha told him to head.

He coughs up some more blood.

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After fending off more guards and mages, Kenshin gets to another hallway that is closer to his destination when he comes across a man in a butler's uniform. He is standing in the middle of the hallway. He has a slender build, and he is wearing glasses. There are black gloves on his hands.

He is standing there with his hands behind his back and he has a smirk on his face.

"I would like to think that you are just a normal butler and shall let me pass, but I have the feeling that you aren't, that I don't."

"Hmmmm. You are very perceptive. I guess that I wouldn't expect anything less from a man that attacked and infiltrated a guarded palace all on his own."

Kenshin could feel the killing intent from the man.

The man pulls out a wand and lifts both of his hands in the air. He almost looks as though he is leading an orchestra.

Just as Kenshin was about to rush the man and kill him before he cast his spell, he feels a tug around his arms and legs.

'Did he already cast the spell? But he is still chanting. What kind of a spell is this?'

He finds that he is unable to get to his sword.

'If I can't get to my sword, I am done for.'

The butler smirks at him.

"Are you ready to give up yet? I really don't mind if you die here. Pests are better exterminated right away. Now, I wouldn't mind having fun with Charlotte if Joseph would let me."

Kenshin gets a more serious look on his face.

"How dare you say her name so frivolously?"

Kenshin's eyes start to get a slight glow to them.

The man begins chanting again and whatever has his arms and legs trapped tightens.

'Damn. I feel like my limbs are being tied off. I feel them beginning to go numb.'

H notices that there seems to be an odd tint to the butler's glasses.

'How could he have gotten that spell off so quickly?'

The man makes some more gestures and now something seems to get a hold of his neck as well.

"Gah!" Kenshin gurgles.

'now it feels like a noose just got wrapped around my neck. Wait this is too coincidental.'

Thoughts piece together as Kenshin struggles to keep consciousness.

'After each movement, he stays put, but his muscles still seem to be fighting against something.'

His runes glow and he gives a swift yank with all of his might against whatever seems to be suspending him while he curls into a ball.

That yank catches the butler off guard and his arms get extended out. He yells out as the ring finger of his left hand breaks and snaps off.

There is a slight give in his binds and Kenshin quickly takes the opportunity fight against what is constraining him again and he manages to get out his sword. He flails around and he falls to the ground.

Through his pain and the blood dripping from his missing finger, the butler pulls out two short swords.

"Damn you. You saw through my little façade."

"You are not a mage, are you?" Kenshin asks.

"No. I was just trying to make it appears as if I was."

He takes off his glasses and tosses them off to the side.

"I must admit, I was fooled for a minute."

"It doesn't matter. You are still going to die like the fool you are for trying to kill the king"

"I am not trying. I will kill him. Even if it is the last thing that I do."

"Fool." The man retorts and then charges at Kenshin.

With the aid of his runes, Kenshin summersaults at the butler. He spins in the air at him with his blade out like a saw.

The butler puts his blades together like a scissor. The act blocks one round of Kenshin's blade. The blade cuts into the twin blades that the butler had and forces them down. The forward motion that Kenshin had brings him around again and he slices the butler completely in half.

More blood gets on Kenshin as he stands up from the fallen halves of his foe.

He could feel the travel and the battles slowing draining his stamina and energy.

"I cannot let this get to me, and there is no turning back. I have to keep moving." He says while flinging the blood off his sword and sheathing it again.

He takes a quick look through the butler's glasses and he could see the fine wire that he had set up within the hallway.

He pushes forward with added wounds along his neck, wrists, and ankles.

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Kenshin slowly goes down another hallway, ignoring the pains throughout his body.

He stops as he comes across a decorative table along the wall. Alongside it seems to be a maid that is curled up with her back facing Kenshin. She seems to be trying to hold back terrified sobs.

She hears his footsteps stop, and she takes a peek over her shoulder at Kenshin. Her eyes go wide as she notices his state.

She screams and curls up with her back against the wall. She is also holding up her hands as if to defend her head from a strike.

'It's a demon!' She shouts in her head.

"Please don't kill me." She repeats over and over.

He could feel only terror from her.

"Miss."

"Please don't kill me."

"Miss."

"Please don't kill me."

"Miss."

"Please don't kill me." She says yet again.

"I'm not going to kill you."

"Please don't kill. . . . huh?"

The girl who seems to be in her late teens looks up at him with tear filled eyes.

"You're not?"

"Are you going to attack me?"

She shakes her head.

"Then you're fine."

She hesitates in believing the bloodied man before her.

"Can you help me get my father out of the dungeon here? He defied joseph and has been here ever since. I was forced to work here with my father being used to keep me in check."

"Perhaps. I have to take care of my business first. I also do not know if what you are telling me is true or not. I would hate to let out a man that shouldn't be free. I might be inclined to help you if you do something for me."

"Ask me anything."

Kenshin scratches the back of his head as he really contemplates asking her what he is about to ask her.

"Are you sure? It is a rather despicable task, that it is."

"What is it?"

"You are a maid, correct?"

She nods.

"I need you to help clean up my messes."

She thinks about all of the bodies that he could have left in his wake.

She takes a big gulp.

"You are right. That is a rather despicable task to ask of me. To ask anybody for that matter, especially a girl."

"I am sorry, that I am. Where I came from, I usually had someone to do that for me. I would also hate for the princess to return to a palace full of blood and dead bodies."

"Fine. I'll do it."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my fanfiction.

Also – Outside of a review of the chapter, let me know if there are any Characters from my other Familiar Of Zero story that you would like to see more of (except the spirits). I know a lot of readers came from that story, so I am putting this out there.

Here is a list of my other stories

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 16

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete

My 'Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace' story is at Chapter 79 - Complete

My 'Teknoman And A Succubus' story is at chapter 4


	8. Chapter 8: The Fall Of A Kingdom Pt2

Kenshin & Familiar Of Zero: The Wandering Familiar

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I do not own Familiar Of Zero or Rorouni Kenshin/Samurai X

 **AN:** Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

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Chapter Eight

The Fall Of A Kingdom Pt. 2

Tabitha's mansion.

"I will go make some tea."

Tabitha gives the butler a nod.

"That will be fine, Peruculan."

Peruculan is wearing a tuxedo styled butler's uniform. He has white hair because of his age and he is also wearing glasses.

Kirche follows Tabitha to where she was going.

"Please, don't be startled by whatever happens."

Kirche gives her friend a nod as Tabitha opens the door to her mother's room. In the room, her mother is fast asleep in bed. Her mother seems to be clutching a stuffed doll and her hair is ragged. Her hair is also blue and long.

'Soon mother.' Tabitha tells herself.

Within a few moments, there is an explosion from outside.

"Already?" Asks Kirche.

Tabitha looks outside and they see a colored smoke rising into the air. Then, she looks back to her mother, whom still seems to be sleeping.

'How is she still sleeping?'

The door to the room opens up and the butler is standing there. He is standing there with a hand musket and he is pointing it at Tabitha and Kirche.

"I am sorry to say, but I did not bring any tea."He tells the two of them.

"I didn't want to believe it at first, but why? Why would you betray our family?"

"Joseph made me a pretty good deal a long time ago and I decided to take it. It worked out well. Not only was I getting paid by your family to care of this place, but I also got paid by Joseph to watch over your family and leak out information. It was a little hard, but also easy in some way. Once I gained the trust of your family, leaking information became rather easy. It wasn't all that bad. I did become a little fond of the family at first, but that easily changed after your father died, your mother becoming insane, and you leaving. The only thing that was hard was dealing with your mother's bantering. I give her sleeping medicine quite often."

Tabitha narrows her eyes in anger and Kirche's go wide in surprise.

"Now, kindly put down your staff and your wand or I might be forced to accidentally shoot your mother."

Kirche angrily tosses down her wand.

Tabbitha lets go of her staff and it falls to the floor with an echo that fills a dead silent room.

"Good." Announces the butler.

He starts shifting his aim from Tabitha's mother, to Tabitha herself.

While he is doing that, a wand drops down from Tabitha's sleeve and into her hand. She quickly lifts it up and points it at the butler that had been taking care of her family for years.

"Ice bolt!"

With that, a single shard of ice launches at her butler and impales him in the chest. He falls to the ground after letting off a shot that only goes into the wall.

"Where in the world did you pick up that idea?" Kirche asks.

"Kenshin."

She wipes a tear from her eye after looking at the butler's body.

"We need to prepare for more, now that they have been informed."

Kirche nods.

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Kenshin walks into a large open room that seems like it is a ballroom. The room is 50 ft. square. There is a secondary floor to it that is lined with a railing. Pillars also line up with the secondary floor.

Several torches seem to instantly light up in flames and illuminate the room.

A chuckle seems to echo through the ballroom and a man walks out into the open. Kenshin could also hear a hissing sound.

"I am astonished that you've made it this far. I guess that I will finally get to earn my pay from the King."

"A King that does not deserve his position." Kenshin retorts.

The man shrugs.

"In your opinion. Never the less, he is the King."

"For now."

"I think that you view yourself too highly. There is no way that someone like you could defeat him."

"Let me pass and you shall find out."

"Sorry. It won't be that easy. I can't just let you do that."

'Damn.'

"I'm afraid that you aren't going to get past this room. You should really consider leaving before I feed you to my familiar, Lavenom."

As soon as the mage utters that name, a large 40 ft. long serpent slithers in from an open doorway. It has a mixture of black, red, and orange scales all over its body. The room heats up from the appearance of the serpent.

Kenshin's eyes go wide from the sight of the beast.

It raises its head into the air, standing twice as tall as Kenshin.

"I have dealt with many a snake, that I have, but I have never seen one like this."

The mage's eye twitches.

"It is not a snake, it's a serpent. Get it right."

Lavenom spits at Kenshin. He doges it just in time. As the fluid that looks like it would be a snake's venom hits the ground, it instantly bursts into flames. The actual floor does not seem to catch fire though.

While Kenshin was being distracted by the serpent, the mage began casting a spell.

A wall of fire forms in front on Kenshin.

With the wall forming, the mage begins casting another spell.

'A mere wall of fire is not going to stop me now.'

Remembering where the mage was standing, Kenshin dives into the wall with his ryukansen tsumuji technique. He thrusts his sword forward as he spirals like a drill toward the wall. He gets surprised when his sword hits something hard. His sword pierces a stone wall and smashes right into it himself. He falls hard to the ground along with many stone from the wall.

Even though he is disorientated from smashing through a wall, Kenshin could hear a hissing sound. He quickly rolls to the side and avoids becoming food for the serpent. He quickly gets back to his feet. He also notices that there was a stones wall created just behind the fire wall that he had jumped through.

'Damn. He must've known that I might just jump through that wall.'

He quickly looks back to his two enemies.

'If I attack one, then the other attacks.'

The mage casts a flame at his serpent and the slime on its scales catches on fire. The snake seems unaffected by it.

The Serpent begins circling around the room as though it was going to coil. Kenshin runs for an opening before the snake gets to coil. As soon as he gets through the opening, he gets bashed by a wall that was moved toward him. The wall shoves him right along to the outskirts of the room, near the pillars.

Another wall moves in from another angle, and then he sees another moving toward him to block him in.

"Let's cook him, Lavenom."

The serpent curls into a horizontal tunnel and it breathes fire. The tunnel and the slime on the scales enhances and speeds up the serpent's flames and they engulf the box that the mage had created around Kenshin.

Kenshin cuts through the back wall, which was not created by the mage, and escapes through it.

Then he goes about 10 feet over ands blasts through the wall with a few wind blades. He goes through the wall again and charges at the mage.

The mage chants and casts a fireball at Kenshin.

Kenshin slices at the floor with his doryusen technique. Tiles from the floor blast against the fireball. The force of the attack and the fire-resistant tiles slow down the fireball enough for him to jump over it and stab his sword down into the mage's head.

He turns to face the serpent.

It coils back as though it was about to lunge at him.

He readies himself for the strike.

It lunges at him with it's mouth opening wide.

He jumps right at its mouth with an empowered boost. The jump leaves a small crater behind him. He goes right into the mouth and stabs upward through the upper part of the mouth and into the brain of the serpent. It flails around and venom gets sprayed around.

Kenshin gets flung out from its mouth and he catches fire from the venom. As soon as he crashes to the ground, he rolls around to put out the fire.

Lavenom eventually crashes to the ground.

After a few moments, Kenshin gets off the ground and goes back over to the serpent as the flames on it start to die out.

'I have to make sure.'

He cuts off the head with a single swipe.

Then he moves on.

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Kenshin goes a little further and finds a man leaning against a wall. The man is wearing a light brown hat that has a dark brown piece of cloth wrapped around the center. A white feather is sticking out of the dark brown cloth. He is also wearing a brown cloak. His silver hair goes most of the way down his back and partially down his front side as well. The white pants he is wearing fluff out a little bit as they do down to the nearly knee-high boots he is wearing. The man also seems to be pretty calm. The oddest feature he has seems to be his pointed ears.

Kenshin stops and stares for a moment at the ears.

"Excuse me for saying this, but I have not met a person with pointed ears before, that I haven't."

"Then you must at least know what I am."

The Battousi blinks a couple times. Then, he smacks his fist into the palm of his other hand.

"You must be an elf. Tabitha mentioned it in passing when she was showing me a map."

Bidashal looks up in surprise.

'His reaction seems off. Did he only just recently learn of the elves?'

Then, Kenshin scratches the back of his head.

"See, I am not from this world, that I am not. I am still learning a great many things."

'Not from this world?'

'This isn't good. I think that Tabitha said that their magic is stronger than our magic. I think that she used the terms ancient or spirit magic.'

"I suppose you aren't going let me pass either, are you?"

Bidashal moves from his position from the wall, to the center of the hallway.

"I would rather not engage in fighting, but I cannot let you pass if you insist on going after King Joseph."

"If you aren't interested in fighting, then why are you doing this?"

"Human fighting is very barbaric, much like all humans. The only reason why I am doing this is because there is a particular interest in Joseph, and he asked me to do this in order to gain his favor."

"You act very high of yourself and speak lowly of humans, but you seem to act no differently than human nobles, that you don't."

The expression on Bidashal's face changes from stoic to angry.

"How dare you say such a thing. A man drenched in blood has no right to criticize me." Bidashal tells Kenshin.

Kenshin retorts back in a very serious tone.

"I can, and I will. I might be bloody, but that is only because I have been given no choice. Everyone is trying to stop from reaching a man with a cold heart. I would rather not fight. You are trying to gain the favor of a man that had no problem in killing his own brother. He also had no issue poisoning his brother's wife into insanity. That very potion was meant for his niece. People that do that are only doing things for their own selfish interests. That is just like a bunch of corrupt nobles."

Bidashal grits his teeth at the very comparison, but then he also remembers the poison that Tabitha's mother drank.

"You want to push us aside and use humans only when it benefits you, that is just like how the nobles here treat peasants. Don't act so high in mighty. I am sure that there are corrupt elves in your government too."

Everything that Kenshin said hits his elven mind hard. Despite not wanting to believe that Kenshin is right, he starts doubting some of his own actions and morals.

"Do you still plan on standing in my way?" Kenshin asks.

"Whether there is truth in your words or not, I still must stand in your way. If you can manage to strike me, then I will no longer stop you."

'This is becoming rather tiresome. How many more people will I have to go through to get to Joseph. Perhaps he did this on purpose. My body aches.'

Kenshin draws his sword and makes an attempt to strike at Bidashal. It stops just short of hitting him though and slightly bounces back. Kenshin backs up in surprise.

"Did you think that I wouldn't be prepared before meeting you?"

Swinging into the air, Kenshin launches several wind blades at Bidashal.

Bidashal holds out his hand and the blades reflect off of the invisible shield back at Kenshin. Kenshin tries to brace himself for the hit. They hit him and send him flying back a few feet. His clothes get even more torn and cuts form along his right cheek and shoulder.

Shakily, Kenshin gets back to his feet while using his sword as a cane.

The elf briefly smells a pot of flowers and turns back to Kenshin.

"Are you ready to give up yet?" He asks the manslayer.

'He got close to those flowers without anything happening to them. What can this mean?' The battousai asks himself.

"I have come too far to give up. If I give up now, then I will let down the girl that entrusted me with her and her mother's life. I would be able to forgive myself if I let that happen."

"You still have to strike me?"

Kenshin gets into a fighting stance and begins readying himself. His runes begin to glow.

'I may get only one chance to try this. If that barrier of his is a reaction based like my Hiten Mitsurugi, then all I have to do is be faster.'

'He is about to attack me again. Doesn't he realize how futile that is? I shall end this here. I cannot let this draw out any longer.' Thinks Bidashal.

As soon as he starts casting a spell, Kenshin dashes toward him. His runes empower his near god-like speed. The barrier activates, but not before the tip of Kenshin's sword impales his shoulder. As he starts falling backwards, Bidashal extends his hand out through the pain and Kenshin gets blasted back.

Bidashal and Kenshin fall to the floor.

Kenshin tilts his head to the side and coughs up some more blood.

After a few moments they both rise up. Bidashal is clutching his shoulder.

"Why . . . Why didn't you kill me?"

"All I had to do was strike you, and then you would get out of my way."

Bidashel gives him a small smirk.

After that, Kenshin drudges forward once again.

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Finally reaching his destination, Kenshin now stares at a very elegant and elaborate set of double doors. Before he can even reach them, they open.

He cautiously walks in.

Inside the room, the king is pouring himself some wine. He has the signature blue hair of the royal family. He also has a blue beard and goatee. The overcoat he is wearing is also blue with fluffed up shoulders and vibrant white fur along the edges and collar. The collar has extra-long fur along it. Underneath, he is wearing a brown leather vest. There is also a white cloth with gold trim along his chest that has the royal crest on it.

"Did you have a difficult time getting here?" Joseph asks him with a grin.

"There were some obstacles, that there were."

"I have been quite entertained by your little escapade. I didn't think that you would get this far."

Kenshin doesn't give him a response and just stoically looks at him.

"I am sure that you aren't trying to get to me without knowing my name, but what is yours?"

"Kenshin. Kenshin Himura."

"That is interesting. That is quite a unique name. Why don't you sit and have a drink with me?"

"I refuse."

"Are you sure? I have quite the proposal for you."

"What could a person like you offer me?" Kenshin coldly replies.

"You have quite the talent for someone that can't exactly cast magic. I am highly interested in your abilities and would like to know how you got summoned as a familiar. You should join my side. It would be a shame to let someone with your talent die."

"I refuse. Besides, I have no intention of dying before the likes of you."

"Why are you doing all of this, anyways?"

"I am sure it is quite clear who and why I am doing this."

"You mean that little niece of mine, Charlotte."

Kenshin nods.

"You mean this girl right here?" Joseph says while he motions to a door.

'What is this? What is he talking about?' Wonders Kenshin.

While he is thinking that, Tabitha walks into the room. She isn't in her school uniform though. She is in an outfit with the same colors as Joseph's. Hers is a dress that also has long white fur around the collar. She has on her red glasses.

Kenshin's eyes go wide.

"What is this?"

Tabitha gives him a devious smirk.

'This is impossible?'

The girl starts laughing at him haughtily.

"Did you really believe that silly story she gave you?"

Kenshin starts questioning everything he has been doing since he has been in this world. It also starts bringing up his memories of Tomoe. Despite all of the raging emotions running through him, he tries to piece things together logically.

Joseph gives a smirk.

"Guards!" The king shouts.

Several guards come out from a doorway with their swords drawn. Just as they are about to reach him, Kenshin darts forward with gritted teeth.

Pain shoots through Tabitha and her eyes go wide while Kenshin cuts her in half.

Joseph frowns as the halves of her body hit the floor.

"How dare you try to trick me like that! That was not Tabitha." Kenshin furiously shouts.

'Again, my emotions were being used against me

He turns to the guards and quickly kills them while Joseph coldly watches. After finishing with the guards, he turns to Joseph.

"It is quite the shame that you killed her. I worked hard on making her look like Charlotte. She was going to make quite the queen in her place."

"She might have looked a lot like her, but there is no way she could act like her. I know the way Tabitha stands, the way she laughs, the way she fights, and even the way she smells."

Joseph narrows his eyes.

"Enough talk, Joseph. Let us finish this."

"Very well, Kenshin. Let's see if you can amuse me once more before you die." Joseph says to him.

He pulls out a dagger.

"You are not the only one with the advantage of speed." The King adds.

The king moves at lightning speed, which surprises the Battousai. Kenshin's eyes are barely able to follow him as he moves around the room. He manages to dodge one of his attacks.

'How is he moving so fast? Does he know a similar style that has fast movements?'

Kenshin goes to make an attack at him, but the king also manages to barely dodge the attack.

'I am glad that I had him do all of those other battles before coming to me. I never would have thought that Charlotte would come across such a devastating fighter. His movements are sluggish, and he is hurt.'

"My spell 'accelerate' works nicely, doesn't it?"

"It certainly has it's advantages."

Kenshin's runes glow as he uses them to keep up with the King. Now it is the King who begins going on the defensive in order to keep up with Kenshin's fighting style. They blaze back and forth throughout the room. They move so fast that they virtually appear and disappear in the blink of an eye.

A couple minutes of this goes by. Most of the furniture in the room taking damage along with the walls.

Kenshin stops momentarily and coughs up some blood from the toll of using his runes.

Joseph also stops and watches Kenshin.

'There has to be a way to stop him despite my body fighting against me. Why hasn't he cast any other spells against me? Is it possible that he cast anything else while doing this?'

Joseph was visibly sweating from the drain on his body as well from keeping his spell going. He could tell that Kenshin was wearing down even more though.

"Are you done yet?" Asks Joseph.

Kenshin replies through panted breaths.

"As I have said before, I refuse to die before you."

"Hmph. It is a shame that my useless familiar was not here to witness this triumph. She is away on business unfortunately."

'She? Does he have a human familiar, too?' Kenshin wonders.

"I'll see you in hell, Kenshin Himura."

"Probably."

After that, Joseph begins his onslaught again. This time, Kenshin stays where he is and just completely defends and keeping his movements as subtle as possible. He takes several cuts from Joseph because of this. He takes cuts along his arms, legs and one across his back.

'Damnit! I can't get a deep enough cut. He keeps stopping me at every turn. No matter, I will still get him this way.' Joseph thinks to himself.

'I am trying to store up my energy for a final blow. That is all I've got left in me. Surely he will get impatient or slow down himself.'

He eventually gets his moment as Joseph tries to strike his side. His runes glow and he takes a step forward and spins around. With his arm completely extended forward, the King is unable to defend against Kenshin's attack. Joseph's eyes go wide as he realizes his life is about to end.

Kenshin's Ryukansen attack cuts the King's head off.

Kenshin drops to his knees and dry heaves on the floor.

After a few minutes he pulls himself off the floor. Blood and sweat drip off of various parts of his body. He swings his sword to get the blood off of it and sheathes it. He then heads back out into the hallway.

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Miles away, on the continent of Albion, a woman with long black hair and a tight black and purple outfit screams in pain as her familiar connection with her master gets severed and her runes burn away form her forehead.

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Omake

Snake Aftermath

Sometime after Kenshin's battle with the mage and his serpent familiar.

The maid was walking down a hall with a fresh bucket of hot water. She wipes some sweat off of her brow with the sleeve of one of her arms.

'He sure is putting me through a lot of work. I am so tired. I hope he realizes how much work he is putting me through. But, I decided to do this to get my father out.'

She puts down the bucket and gives her cheeks a light smack to get herself back into gear. Then, she picks the bucket back up and moves on to the next room to see if he did anything there.

She walks into the next room, and it just so happens to be the ballroom.

As the maid walks in, she is greeted with the sight of not only the dead body of the mage, but also the body of the 60 ft. long serpent.

Her mouth starts to quiver.

Then she further inspects the room and notices the rest of the damage to the room.

While dropping to her knees, she begins uncontrollably crying.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my fanfiction.

Here is a list of my other stories

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 17

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete

My 'Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace' story is at Chapter 79 - Complete

My 'Teknoman And A Succubus' story is at chapter 4


	9. Chapter 9: Reunion

Kenshin & Familiar Of Zero: The Wandering Familiar

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I do not own Familiar Of Zero or Rorouni Kenshin/Samurai X

 **AN:** Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

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Chapter Nine

Reunion

Flying towards Tabitha's mansion is Sylphid. She is in her dragon form.

'The carriage that he got in, came this way. There seems to be a mansion up ahead. I wonder if he got out there. This has been such a pain in the ass for me. What the heck has he been up to, and was it really such a great idea for me to try to track him down?' Sylphid wonders.

Up a head, she spots a group of armed men who seem to be attacking the mansion. Several men catch fire from a ring of fire that Tabitha and Kirche had jointly created. Another man that was lying on the ground is impaled with shards of ice that seem to be quickly melting.

Sylphid sniffs the air and picks up on Kenshin's scent. She smiles.

'I finally found him. Yes.'

The men hear her wings , they turn around just in time for her to slam one of her feet into one of attackers faces and he falls into the ground. She swipes her tail to knock down a couple more.

She roars at the remainder and they flee in terror.

Flame, Kirche's familiar, chases off a couple of the wounded men while spitting fire at them.

Tabitha and Kirche both look at each other and then back at the dragon before them.

"Is this dragon on our side?" Kirche asks Tabitha.

Tabitha just shakes her head.

"I don't know, but it's not attacking us."

Sylphid slowly walks up to Tabitha. Kirche gets a little nervous from this, but Tabitha stand stoically still.

Slyphid begins sniffing Tabitha and she frowns slightly.

'His scent is on her. Isn't this the girl that he protected at the city? Yes. What is she to him? I hope she isn't a girlfriend. Leave it to me to find a nice guy that has a girl. Yes. Wait. I am picking up his scent elsewhere.'

She sniffs at the ground and picks up his scent going in another direction. She takes off again after him.

"Ummm. That was weird." Kirche says while scratching her head.

Tabitha looks at her friend.

"Did I smell bad?" Asks Tabitha.

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A few hours after the death of the king.

Kenshin was kneeling in the seiza position on a pillow that he had taken from a fancy looking hallway bench. His eyes were closed. He was keeping his body in a relaxed state while being completely aware of everything going on around him.

The maid cautiously approaches him. She has a bucket of fresh water and a clean cloth inside.

'He really cleared out the place. I can't believe that this one man did all of this. At least it made it easier to find my father. I am glad I was able to see him and get him some food. This man, however, is in deep need of a bath. He reeks and looks like a devil.'

She gets a little closer to him.

'Is he sleeping?' She wonders.

She examines him from afar and sees many of his wounds but can't tell which blood on him is actually his.

She opens her mouth to say something to him, but then she closes it again.

'Should I really disturb him?'

"What is it that you want?"

His voice breaks the silence and she yelps in surprise. She nearly falls backward, but she catches herself just in time.

"You scared the crap out of me!"

"That was not my intention, but I couldn't help but notice your presence."

"I thought you were asleep like that."

"I have no intention of falling asleep any time soon. I am waiting for Tabi- I mean Charlotte to come here. I am quite aware of my surroundings, that I am. I have to keep watch until she shows up."

"How can you keep track of this whole palace? You are just one man."

"That is a little hard to explain. So, if you don't mind . . ."

She crosses her arms.

"I do mind. You look like complete crap. If you aren't going to take a bath, then at least let me try to clean you up and bandage your wounds."

"Only if you are quiet while doing so. This is taking a lot of concentration and I am rather tired."

'I bet he is.'

"Very well, mister."

"Kenshin."

"Huh?"

"My name is Kenshin."

"I am Claire."

After that, she silently and slowly begins cleaning him up. It doesn't take her long before the bucket of water becomes completely red.

She swaps out the water and brings some bandages.

She clears her throat to gain his attention.

"Yes?" He asks.

"May I take off your . . . coat?"

'I suppose that she wouldn't understand my clothing, but I don't feel like explaining that right now to her.'

He gives her a nod and she slowly peels off the tattered and bloody article of clothing. She nearly gasps when she sees all of the various scars on his upper body.

'How can someone so young have so many scars already? What has he been through?' She asks herself.

She cleans off the blood and bandages his wounds. This leaves him pretty heavily bandaged.

'You know, he actually doesn't look like all that bad of a guy when he is cleaned up. He is a lot more approachable and handsome now.'

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The next day.

There is a thump that comes from outside and Kenshin instantly rushes out there to investigate. Some of the tails of his bandages flutter about as he rushes outside.

When he gets outside though, he stops in surprise. He even blinks a couple of times in disbelief.

Before him is Sylphid in her dragon form.

"Is this the same dragon that saved me from before?" He asks aloud.

'Oh, my goodness! What the hell happened to him? Is this really the same man? He looks so tired and battered. Yes.' Sylphid wonders.

She sniffs at him a little. He could somehow tell that the dragon before him seemed concerned.

'Even though there is still such a strong smell of blood, it is him. He is all bandaged up. What happened here? He is too nice of a guy to have just done this for no reason at all. Yes.'

"Are you the same dragon that saved me in the city?" He asks without expecting an answer.

She nods at him.

'She understood me? Maybe she can help me contact Tabitha.'

"I know that you just got here, but I would like you to do me a favor. I need you to let someone know that it is safe to come here."

'Wait. How would this dragon even know how to find her, and how would Tabitha even know that it was me that sent her?'

As he wonders this, he remembers the ribbon that she gave him. He unties it from his sword and holds it out to Sylphid. She sniffs at it.

'This smells like that girl. Yes. Is she his girlfriend?' Wonders the blue dragon.

"What do you say? Can you find her and deliver this for me?" He asks politely.

'How mean. Yes. Asking a girl to fetch another girl.'

Then, she comes to a realization.

'I suppose it is a little unfair to be mad. I am in dragon form after all, and doesn't know that I am the same girl that he fed. He better feed me good when I get back here.'

She grabs the ribbon and takes off.

He turns around to head back.

'Soon. She will be here soon, and I will be able to rest.' He thinks.

The maid walks by with a wheel barrel that has a couple of men in it.

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A little while later.

A man in fine armor with a house crest on it rides up to the palace along with a handful of guards around him. With him is an army of 3000. They approach the palace on three fronts, but makes no motion to attack.

The man notices all kinds of bodies lying about.

As he gets a little closer, he sees Kenshin standing atop the front gate. His long hair floats within the breeze and there is a serious look on Kenshin's face.

"Who are you, and what brings you here?" Kenshin shouts.

"I am lord Conradin. I am a noble from this country, and who might you be?"

"I am Kenshin Himura."

"I have come to check if the rumor I had heard was true."

"And what rumor would that be?"

"That the king is dead."

"Then, what proof do you have?"

Kenshin holds up the King's royal mantle that still has some blood on it.

Lord Conradin furrows his brows slightly in thought.

"What are your plans now? Do you seek the throne yourself?" The lord asks.

Kenshin shakes his head.

"I desire no such thing, that I don't. I am waiting for the return of the princess, Tabi- Charlotte. She will take her rightful place at the throne."

'Charlotte? The former king Charles' daughter. I was wondering about the young girl. It is good to know she is alive and well.' Conradin thinks to himself.

"Very well, Kenshin. We shall wait here for her return. I served under her father's reign and was very loyal to him."

Kenshin blinks his eyes a couple of times.

'Is his entire army really going to camp out here?'

"That will be fine with me as long as if you make no motion towards the palace. The princess will be the final judge of your loyalty though."

The lord turns his horse around to head back to his army. One of his aids approaches him.

"Shouldn't we just invade, capture him, and see for ourselves if she returns?"

He looks to the aid.

"Even with an army, would you really think it is wise to attack a man that seems to have single-handedly infiltrated the palace and killed the King?"

"When you put it that way, then I suppose not."

"Besides, he has been peaceful to us. I would rather not ruin this with unnecessary bloodshed."

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Sylphid reaches Tabitha's mansion for the second time. As she lands Tabitha comes out of the mansion to greet her.

"You're back." Tabitha softly tells the dragon.

Sylphid nods her head up and down. The ribbon dangles out of her mouth.

Tabitha notices the ribbon and cants her head momentarily while looking at it. Then her eyes go wide. She slowly reaches for it and Sylphid lets her take it out of her mouth. The blue-haired girl quickly inspects it and remembers how she gave it to Kenshin.

Her eyes slightly tear up and she turns back to the mansion.

Kirche is leaning against a pillar and gives her friend a smile.

"It's from Kenshin isn't it?"

Tabitha nods.

"Is this dragon his?"

"I don't think so. He never got one, but this dragon was carrying my ribbon that I had given to him."

"Then go to him."

"What about mother?"

"Flame and I will take care of her. There hasn't been much activity here. And, from what you have told me, I don't think that your mother would cooperate very well with trying to get her to go with you on a dragon."

After hearing that, Tabitha gives a sorrowful look down.

"Get going, it will be fine." Kirche tells her friend.

Tabitha gives a determined nod and looks at Sylphid.

"May I?"

Sylphid nods and grunts.

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While flying with Sylphid towards the palace, Tabitha notices the army surrounding it.

'There seems to be an army here, but they don't seem to be attacking the palace. They are . . . camping out?'

Many of the men take notice of her and a couple men go up to a tent. They call inside the tent and Lord Conradin quickly emerges. He looks up to see Tabitha and Sylphid.

"Is that her?"

He grabs a spyglass from another one if his men and takes a closer look as she approaches.

"That has to be her. She has the family's blue hair. She also looks young enough to be that girl."

He looks over to his generals and some of the other men.

"No one is allowed to take up arms. Stand down. I will meet her on my own."

"Yes, my lord." Many of them reply.

He hastily walks towards the gate of the palace. Tabitha watches him do this.

'I recognize that family crest.'

She cautiously lands near him, just outside of the gates.

"Hello. I am lord Conradin. Are you Lady Charlotte, The late King Charles' daughter?"

She nods.

"I am."

The man gets a pleasant smile on his face.

"It is good to see you then. I used to serve under your father's rule."

"Is Kenshin here?"

"He has not seemed to have left. He has kept himself within the palace walls, keeping it safe for your return."

'He must have succeeded then.'

The lord puts his right fist over his chest and kneels down.

"With joseph being gone, and you the rightful heir to the throne, I pledge my allegiance to you. My army may only be 3000, but it is 3000 strong. Every one of my men is completely devoted to me. I have made sure of such things. Word has gotten to me that other armies are already experiencing some upheaval amongst the ranks with devout supporters of Joseph."

"I thank you for your support, and I will speak more with you upon this subject, but right now I wish to see my Ivaldi."

She flies back up and over the front entrance.

"Her Ivaldi?" Lord Conradin mutters.

As she flies over, she notices a pile of beasts and bodies ranging from humans, to familiars, to other beasts. She watches as a maid dumps out a bucket of water and gets a fresh one.

As she lands down and jumps off of Sylphid. She notices that the front entrance is open and Kenshin is sitting there in his usual fashion.

'He's alive.'

While she thinks this, his eyes start to open. She could see dark circles under his eyes and all of the bandages that were on him.

He gives her a soft smile.

"Kenshin." She mutters.

"I see you finally made it. I waited patiently for you, that I did."

As if the world went into slow motion, her eyes go wide as she watches his eyes close again and he falls over from exhaustion and from all of the injuries that he had taken.

"Kenshin!" She yells while running toward him.

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Omake 1

What's for dinner

The first night at the castle.

The maid walks up to Kenshin with a tray full of food and something to drink.

"What is this?" Kenshin asks.

She sets it down in front of him.

"It's food. Silly."

He gives it a cautious look.

"Relax I didn't poison it."

"People will go to extreme lengths to get to someone."

She huffs. Then she grabs the fork and knife, cuts some of the meat, and takes a bite. She also takes a bite of his vegetables and potatoes.

"Does that make you feel better?" She asks.

"That it does. But, what kind of meat is this?"

"Snake." She sternly replies.

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Omake 2

A ribbon's tale

While Sylphid was flying towards Tabitha's mansion.

A strong wind blows by and the loose ribbon gets blown out from her mouth.

'Oh, crap. I can't go to the mansion without that.'

Because of her movements, the ribbon gets blown just out of her bite. She deals with this spectacle for several seconds as it makes its way down toward some trees.

She lands on the ground and looks up into the trees.

'Where did that ribbon go?'

She looks up and finds that there is a bird grabbing onto the ribbon.

'Oh no you don't!'

She gets up on her hind legs and braces her front ones along the tree that the bird is in. Her head rises up and she comes face to face with the bird. She roars at it and the bird stiffens as it dies from fright. Unfortunately, the bird dies while it was still holding the ribbon.

The bird falls over and plummets to the ground.

'What the heck!'

She looks back down just in time to see that a wild cat snatches the dead bird and picks it up in its mouth. The speckled cat looks up Sylphid and its eyes bulge out. It quickly takes off running with the bird still in its mouth.

Sylphid whines. Then she starts chasing after the cat.

While desperately running for its life, the cat notices some large rocks and ducks for a gap amongst them. Sylphid rushes over and angrily shoves the rocks out of her way.

'I want that damn ribbon back. Yes.'

The cat clutches onto its meal and Sylphid manages to clamp down on the ribbon before the cat could get away. She gives a great big yank and the cat goes flying through the air with the bird. There is a loud meow as it flies into some bushes.

'I finally got it back.' She thinks and sighs in relief.

She transforms and inspects the ribbon while standing completely naked. It had gotten dirty from the whole ordeal. So, she washes it off in a small stream. Then something else comes to mind.

"Oh, no. Where did I lose my cloak and clothes?"

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my fanfiction.

Here is a list of my other stories

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 18

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete

My 'Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace' story is at Chapter 79 - Complete

My 'Teknoman And A Succubus' story is at chapter 4


	10. Chapter 10: Intentions

Kenshin & Familiar Of Zero: The Wandering Familiar

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I do not own Familiar Of Zero or Rorouni Kenshin/Samurai X

 **AN:** Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

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Chapter Ten

Intentions

Kenshin groans and slowly opens his eyes. With a slight blurriness in them, he rubs it out with his right hand.

Tabitha, whom was silently reading a book while in a chair next to his bed, looks up and over to her familiar.

'He awoke.' She thinks to herself.

'Am I in a soft bed? This is almost too soft.' Muses Kenshin.

Fighting the aches in his body, he lifts himself up to a sitting position. He instantly searches for his sword and finds the blue-haired princess sitting next to him. His sword is next to her on the bed.

"Are you alright?" Tabitha asks softly.

"That is a good question. I think that I have seen better days, that I have. Where am I?" He asks back.

"We are in one of the royal guest rooms."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"This would be the second day."

His eyes go wide, and he stares at her.

"You haven't been by my side the whole time, have you?"

She shakes her head slightly.

"Mostly, but not the entire time. I have been tending to some various things here and there. I had Claire stay by you during some of the times as well."

"I am surprised that she did not kill me in my sleep."

The two of them hear a huff come from the doorway. They look over and see the maid standing there with her arms crossed.

"It's not like you didn't give me reason not to want to." She says out of spite.

Then she uncrosses her arms and a slightly kinder face.

"But, my father is free now. So, thank you." She adds.

"I see."

"I freed her father after some discussion and he is helping out around here, too."

"I guess I will go get you some food. I am sure that you are starving." The maid says and then walks back out while shutting the door behind her.

"I owe her a great dept of gratitude. She helped me out a lot."

"She told me."

He gets a little nervous as the encounter with Joseph comes back to his mind.

"Miss Tabitha, did you . . . . . have a sister?"

She looks down.

"I do not think that I do, but I did see the body of the girl that you are referring to. She looked almost exactly like me."

"Perhaps it is for the best then that you did not know her. They tried to use her to toy with my mind, but your uncle said that he was going to use her as your imposter."

A sigh escapes from her.

'Then he was going to eventually eliminate me anyways.' Thinks the girl.

A knock is heard on the door.

"You may come in." Sha announces.

The door slowly opens and there is a middle-aged man standing there in a butler uniform. He gives her a slight bow

"Your highness, this was just dropped off for you and Mr. Himura."

Kenshin gets a puzzled look on his face.

In his hands is a shiny metal tray with a small potion on it and a letter. He hands the letter to Tabitha. She opens it and begins reading.

"It is true. This is for both of us. It is from a man names Bidashal."

"Bidashal?"

"Have you met him?"

"I had fought against him briefly before reaching your uncle. He was an elf that was working for Joseph for unknown reasons to me."

As she reads more of the letter, her eyes go wide, and they start to tear up.

"Is something wrong."

She shakes her head. Then, she grabs the potion off of the tray and holds it close to her heart.

"He says in the letter that this potion will cure my mother's illness. He says that he came to some realizations after talking with you."

"This is great news, that it is. All we have to do is go back to your mansion and give her this potion."

Tabitha shakes her head.

"Kirche brought her here while you were out. But, do we really trust this potion that was given to us by a man that worked for my uncle?"

"I think that we can."

Another knock is heard at the door.

"Yes?"

The door bursts open and Kirche rushes in. She latches on to both Tabitha and Kenshin and both of their heads get shoved into her large bosom.

"We were both so worried about you. I am so glad that you are alive."

"Thank you for your concern." He says while blushing furiously.

Tabitha also blushes, but not as much.

'Again?' Muses the blue-haired girl.

Then, she pulls away from Kirche and holds up the bottle.

"What is this?" Asks Kirche.

"It's my mother's cure."

Kirche's face lights up with happiness and she pulls her friend back in again.

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After pouring the potion into a glass of water, Claire leaves the glass in the room with Tabitha's mother in it. She hesitantly drinks it and falls asleep afterward.

She eventually wakes up and finds Tabitha in a chair by her side.

"Charlotte? Is that you?"

As soon as those words come out of her mother's mouth, Tabitha instantly turns to tears and hops into the bed with her mother and clutches onto to her.

"Mother!"

"I don't understand what is going on, but everything is going to be okay." Her mother tells her, and she starts stroking Charlotte's hair.

Kenshin and Claire, whom were watching from a small opening from the door, turn to each other and smile. He slowly closes the door.

"This is great." She tells him.

"Yes, yes it is." He states while he begins to walk away.

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An hour later.

Claire lets Kenshin into the room with Tabitha and her mother.

"Hello, Mr. Himura."

He gives her a polite bow.

"I want to thank you for everything that you have done. My daughter talked a lot about you. I cannot believe how much you were able to do. You returned the kingdom to our family and I have regained myself, even after all this time."

He bows again.

"It just felt like the right thing to do. I am glad to see that you are in better health. Thanks for that does not go to me though."

"You are a very humble person."

"You are a hero." The queen tells him.

He shakes his head.

"I am no hero, I am just a killer that hopes he did the right thing,"

She gets slightly taken aback by his response. She still gives him a smile.

"Well, I still thank you for everything that you did for her. You and Kirche are both dear to her."

Tabitha blushes from her mother's comment.

"Think nothing of it." He replies.

"I am also glad that you and Lord Conradin did not fight each other. He is a good man. My late husband and he got a long quite well."

"That is good news, that it is. He did not seem to have any ill intent when I met him."

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While taking a walk outside, Kenshin comes around a corner to find Claire washing laundry by hand. She notices him, but she keeps on cleaning.

She wipes some sweat from her brow.

"Hello, Kenshin. Is everything all right?"

He gives her a nod.

"Yes. Everything is fine. I just wanted to come out for some fresh air. Would you like some help?"

"Ha. Yeah right. I highly doubt an assassin like you who has someone clean up after him would know how to clean clothes."

He pouts.

"You know, I know other things than just killing people." He tells her while rolling up his sleeves.

He pulls up a stool and sits next to her at the bucket she was cleaning at. He begins taking various things from the basket and cleaning them with the washboard.

She watches him in a little bit of dismay.

After he cleans, she quickly takes it from him and hangs it up on a line to dry. A light breeze flows through the air and the drying laundry gives a slight flutter.

"So, where did you learn to wash like that?"

"As I have said, I have not always been an assassin. I am a ronin that has picked up a great many things."

"A ronin?"

"I suppose that wouldn't know that word. A ronin is basically a wanderer for one reason or another. Many ronin were once nobles that lost their land, denounced their title as a noble, or even just became one as a way to repent for their sins from leading the life of a warrior."

'Nobles? Repent?' She wonders while looking at him.

He could feel her gaze, but he keeps on washing.

"Things seem to be going well here now. Perhaps it is time to wander again. This place has a lot of similarities and differences to where I came from, that it does."

Her eyes go slightly wide in surprise.

'He wants to go wandering again? He doesn't want to stay with the girl that he fought so hard for.'

"Isn't the life of a wanderer tiresome?" She asks.

"It is, but one gets used to it. It doesn't bother me usually."

She kneels down next to him.

"How do you do it, Kenshin?"

He finally looks to her.

"What do you mean?"

"How do you do it? You fight so hard for someone that is important to you and then you go wandering around from place to place. Don't you like the idea of staying at one place? If being an assassin bothers you, then why don't you just do something different?"

He looks up at the sky.

"There was a time when I tried."

'It seems like it has been forever since I lived the life of a farmer and apothecary.' He reminisces.

His time living with Tomoe as husband and wife comes to the forefront of his mind once again.

"What happened?" The young girl asks.

"My past caught up to me and I had to use my sword again."

Then he looks to her with a smile.

"But that isn't something that you need to worry about." He tells her while handing her a bed sheet that had just washed.

She hangs up the bed sheet and she looks back to find that he is gone.

'Should I tell her about this?' She wonders for a brief moment. Then, she rushes off.

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Knock after knock rattles Tabitha's door.

"Lady Charlotte, are you there. I have something really urgent to speak with you about." Claire announces.

She gets up and answers her door. She could see the panic in Claire's face.

"What is wrong?"

"It's Kenshin. I think that he is going to leave!"

Tabitha's eyes go wide.

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"Young sir, may I ask where you are off to?"

Kenshin looks back to the middle-aged butler. They are outside and the butler is standing at the entrance to the palace.

Kenshin has a small sack slung over his shoulder. He looks back to the butler.

"I honestly do not know. I will go wherever the wind takes me. I have done what I needed to here. So, I will be on my way. I am just a wanderer, that I am."

He gives Kenshin a bow.

"I wish you well on your journey, wherever it may take you. I am grateful to you for sparing my daughter's life. She may not show it very well, but she is really grateful to you, too."

He turns around and begins walking away.

'This is the right thing to do.' He tells himself.

Just as he starts walking, the entrance doors fly open, nearly hitting Claire's father. There is a blast of air that goes along with the doors flying open. It blows Kenshin's hair around.

"Where are you going?" Kenshin hears Tabitha ask.

He slowly turns back and gives her a puzzled look.

"Oro?" comes out of his mouth while he dumbfoundedly points to himself.

"Yes. You. Where are you going?"

He lets out a sigh.

"I am leaving."

"Where? Why? Without saying goodbye to me?"

"As I told you when we met, I am a wanderer. It is time for me to go."

"Do you not want to be around me anymore?"

"I actually felt that it would be wise for me to not be around you anymore, that I did. I killed your uncle and someone that looked like you. I am an assassin, a wanderer. I am not the kind of person to hang around. I did what I vowed to do. You have your mother and your life back. Your mother got her cure and your uncle has been taken off the throne. You no longer need me around. Thank you for everything that you did for me, miss Tabitha."

He turns around to start walking away again.

The sound of her slamming the bottom of her staff against the stone in front of the entrance echoes through the area.

"Don't go!" She shouts.

He turns back.

"Miss Tabitha, You are having a temper tantrum, that you a. . " He begins to say.

"That I am!" She finishes.

Claire holds back a laugh from the doorway.

He pauses.

"I don't want you to go. I want. No. I need you by my side. Not just because you are my familiar, but because I want you by my side."

"Things happen when I stay for too long." He retorts.

"I don't care what your past was. I like you. I want you here with me. You have been my pillar. So, let me be your pillar. You are so used to protecting other like a suit of armor. Now, perhaps it is my turn. Let me be your armor."

"Part of me doesn't care if you leave. You would save me a lot of hassle. On the other hand. I wouldn't mind if you stayed. Besides, you're the one who caused me all of this trouble. I also don't think it would be right for you to leave and break this girl's heart." Claire announces.

Tabitha blushes from not only her outburst, but also what Claire said.

Kirche walks by all of them and towards Kenshin.

"I want you to stay around, too. You've got a fire in you that I have never felt around any other man. I also don't want you breaking my best friend's heart."

She sighs.

"Men can be really dense sometimes." Adds the red head while she crosses her arms.

Sylphid flies overhead and lands next to Kenshin.

'I will fly with him wherever he goes, but I guess these people aren't that bad, yes. So, staying here with him doesn't sound like a terrible idea, and they seem to care about him. All these girls around him might become troublesome for me, but at least there is good food here, yes.' The dragon muses to herself and she gives him a slight nudge back towards Tabitha.

"You, too?" He asks the dragon.

She nods up and down.

He sighs and concedes.

"All right. I guess staying at least for a while longer doesn't sound like that bad of an idea, that it doesn't."

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A couple of days later.

After using her magic in her uncle's personal office, she stumbles upon a hidden compartment with a magic seal on it. She grabs Kirche and they both use their magic together to unlock the seal.

Tabitha slowly opens the compartment and finds a stack of papers and notes. She takes the stack to the desk and begins glancing over them. Her eyes get wider and wider and she browses through them.

"What is wrong?" Kirche asks her friend.

"There is so much here to sort through. But, My uncle has information here regarding plans with Reconquista, the four void mages and even plots with the pope of the Brimir faith. There is even stuff in here about the elves."

Kirche's eyes go wide.

There is a knock on the door.

"Lady Tabitha, there is a person here to see you."

"Who is it?"

"It is a cardinal from the church."

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Omake

It's The Maid's House Too

Claire opens the front entrance for Lord Conradin to enter. She gives him a slight bow.

"Thank you for coming, please follow me so that you may meet with Princess Charlotte."

"Thank you. I have been looking forward to this." He states as he enters in through the Palace entrance.

He gets a few feet within the entrance when Claire notices his feet.

"Stop."

"Huh? Is something the matter?"

"Yes. You need to takeoff your boots and the sabaton armor that covers them."

"Why?"

"Because they are dirty, and I do not feel like cleaning that up if I can avoid it."

"I beg your pardon, but you do know who you are talking to?"

"I do, and I do not care. You will take them off."

He could feel a menacing aura coming from around her.

"Isn't this Lady Charlotte's palace?"

"Yes, but it is mine too since I am the one that has been cleaning up everything around here. You have no idea how much I have had to go through to get things cleaned up around here. So, please take off your boots and sabatons."

'I guess that she might have a point. She must have had it rough.'

"Very well."

After he takes them off, they travel to the throne room where Tabitha is at. When she looks at him, she notices that he only has his socks on his feet.

Claire is smiling in the background.

'Ahhh. My clean floors are safe.' She muses to herself.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my fanfiction.

Here is a list of my other stories

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 19

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete

My 'Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace' story is at Chapter 79 - Complete

My 'Teknoman And A Succubus' story is at chapter 4


	11. Chapter 11: An Odd Request

Kenshin & Familiar Of Zero: The Wandering Familiar

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I do not own Familiar Of Zero or Rorouni Kenshin/Samurai X

 **AN:** Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

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Chapter Eleven

An Odd Request

With Kenshin close by, the official from the church is let in and led to Tabitha and her mother. He gives her a polite bow and she does the same with just her head. She is considering what she had found just moments ago. Many thoughts were running through her head.

'I need more time. He cannot be here until I figure out everything that is in my uncle's notes.'

Her mother also knew of her findings.

"Hello, your highness. I am Cardinal Conti from the church."

"Hello, Cardinal Conti."

"I would like to first congratulate you on your return."

"Thank you. I am feeling better now, thanks to the cure that I received. I am sure that is not the only reason that you came."

"No. It is not. I also wanted to offer my services here. The Pope said that he wanted to personally come here himself to speak with you, but he had things to attend to and sent me."

"I do appreciate him being so quick in doing so, but I must decline for the moment."

The cardinal gets a perplexed look on his face.

"But, your Highness, I must stress the importance of having a member of the church around as an advisor of the Brimir faith."

"That may be so, but we are also still settling into place here. My daughter and I have much to discuss and put back together."

"That is all the more reason why my presence is needed, your Highness. With the public and the nobility in an uproar right now, It would do you well to have a member of the faith here."

'How troublesome.' Tabitha thinks to herself.

"I appreciate your advice, but we are currently very strict about who is in and out of the palace at the moment. Even if you are a member of the church, I respectfully ask that you leave until we are more situated. I was once Queen already. It has been a while, but I still remember a lot."

"But . . "

"We will send for you."

He gives her a bow.

"Thank you for your time, your Highness. I bid you and your daughter well, and I shall return another time."

"Thank you, Cardinal Conti."

As he leaves, a guard escorts him out.

Tabitha's mother looks to her daughter and Kenshin.

"I do not know how long we will be able to keep them away. We are going to have to sort through those papers that your uncle left behind. We are also going to have to quickly get things in place. The people need stability after all of the chaos that just happened."

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Kenshin was sitting in a study with Tabitha. Tabitha had some of the papers that belonged to her uncle with her. She had been discussing some of it with him. He has a slightly baffled look on his face.

"You keep mentioning this group called Reconquista. What is this group's purpose?"

"They are a group of people consisting of commoners and noblemen that are unhappy with the ruling monarchies. They are unhappy with their treatment under the Brimir faith. It is because of that that they wish to overthrow all of the governments and have their own rule."

Kenshin rubs his chin while he is reminded of what happened to him, fighting against a corrupt government.

"I can honestly say that I am not entirely against a group of people wanting change. I have seen many a corrupt officials that have treated people poorly. I have seen it here and where I came from, that I have. I have never heardof a group that wanted to overthrow all of the governments though." Kenshin tells Tabitha.

Tabitha looks up from the papers, slightly surprised and not surprised at the same time by his response.

"What good is a government if it's people are in a state of unrest?"

Kenshin gets kind of a glazed look over his eyes as he remembers gory battle after gory battle.

"I do not feel that you or your mother would rule like that though. I feel like every peaceful option should be exhausted before taking the more violent approach, though. And, the goals and actions of a group like this could be easily twisted and used for someone else's gain."

His own words hit him hard as the tragic memories of his past come forth again

"That was what my uncle was doing." Interjects Tabitha.

While furrowing his brow, Kenshin looks over to Tabitha.

"That he was. Everyone, including the pope, were being used as pawns for his own game. He has set the waves in motion." Kenshin adds.

'How troublesome.' Worries the blue-haired girl.

"Now, it is up to me to fix it." She announces.

"Not just you. I will be here with you along the way, that I will. I do not wish for you, or anybody else to go through what I have. I have seen enough betrayal, killing, and assassinations to last a lifetime."

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While walking around outside, Kenshin found himself at the stables, where some of the familiars are kept. He looks over and he sees the blue dragon that has helped him out a couple of times so far.

'She seems to be resting.' He thinks as he walks over to where she was resting.

She could hear the footsteps as he walks toward her. She opens her eyes and raises her head slightly to look at him.

'There he is. Yes.' She muses.

"Hello there. I am sorry to disturb you, that I am. I happen to be walking about and came here."

She nuzzles her head into his chest, and he strokes the top of it.

"I still wish I understood why you have taken a liking to someone such as I. I suppose that I should just accept it, shouldn't I?"

She nods her head.

"You have helped me out a lot, that you have. And, I have no way of repaying you."

'Just stay you. Don't change into one of those mean men and stay the kind man that you have always been to me. Oh, and don't get yourself killed. Yes. That should do it.' She muses to herself.

He could tell what she was thinking.

"Are they feeding you enough?" He politely asks.

She quickly shakes her head no.

"You want more food?"

Then she nods yes.

He laughs and gives her a smile.

"I shall have to see if that can be arranged."

Sylphid gets up and motions for him to get on her back.

"You want me to go flying with you?"

She nods.

"Flying is quite the experience. It is a little scary though. I am not used to being up so high."

'Scaredy-cat.' Thinks the blue dragon.

She shoves him a little closer with her head in a sideways shove.

"Alright. I guess you win."

Just as he is about to climb on, Claire comes rushing up to him and waving.

"Kenshin! Wait!" The maids between heavy breaths.

"What is it? Is something wrong? Are we being attacked?"

"No. Nothing like that."

"You shouldn't scare me like that, that you shouldn't."

"It is important though. Your presence is requested in the throne room. The Queen of Tristen is asking for you."

"For me?"

"Yes, you. No. The other person named Kenshin."

"There is another person named Kenshin?"

She smacks her forehead.

"I was joking. Would you just come with me already."

"Okay. I get the idea."

Sylphid huffs.

'Dang it!'

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The butler opens the door to the throne room when Kenshin gets close enough.

'It never gets old. The sight of walking into a throne room is always quite the experience.' He muses.

He could instantly feel an odd vibe coming from within though as he not only sees Tabitha and her mother, but also another girl with several armed guards with her that were standing off to the side.

'All female.' The battousai notes to himself.

The girl being guarded had purple hair. She also has on a white dress with 3 green gems along the collar with the one in the middle being slightly bigger than the other. She is also wearing a purple cloak that is darker than the purple of her hair. She is holding a silver scepter with a jewel in the head of it within a cage-like structure.

The three guards with her have similar outfits to each other except for the fact that one of them with short blond hair is wearing a white cloak with a crest on the shoulder. The other two are wearing green cloaks. They have green outfits on that have pointed tails. They are adorned with a small amount of armor on the shoulders and ankles. Bracers are on their forearms. They each have skinny, western styled swords at their sides. The blond-haired girl also has a small hand musket at her other side. The boots rise up to just past the knees.

The atmosphere felt calm, but business-like, minus the blond-haired girl. He could tell that the blond girl seemed tense.

'I wonder what this is about?'

Tabitha and her mother were wearing their royal outfits.

"Hello, Kenshin. You may come closer." Tabitha's mother announces

The purple-haired girl looks over to Tabitha.

"So, this is him?"

Tabitha nods.

The blond girl, Agnes, stares at him while trying to gauge him.

"Kenshin Himura, this is princess Henrietta de Tristan."

He gives a polite bow to her, but then he also gives her guards another look.

Henrietta looks over and notices Agnes giving him a stern but intrigued look.

"You have to forgive them. These are my royal guards, the musketeers. The one with the white cloak is the head, Agnes. The other two are Aimee and Guinevere."

'He doesn't seem like much. Is this really the guy that tooth out Joseph? I suppose you can't judge a book by its cover.' Agnes thinks to herself.

Aimee starts to wave to Kenshin, but then she quickly stops when Agnes glares at her.

"It is nice to meet you." Agnes says to him.

"The pleasure is also mine, that it is."

"I have heard so much about you, Mr. Himura. I have not only heard from the Queen and the princess, but also from people in my country."

He seems slightly surprised by that remark.

"Hopefully good things." He replies with a smile.

Henrietta gives a bit of a giggle.

"Yes, quite. You took care of a corrupt nobleman for me."

Kenshin scratches his head while he tries to remember whom she might be talking about.

"There was a man that nearly ran over a small child?"

"Yes, that would be the one." Henrietta says pleasantly.

Tabitha looks to Kenshin with a questioning look in her eyes.

"I had a little bit of a run in with a nobleman, that I did."

"You can't be left anywhere, can you?" Tabitha asks.

He shrugs.

"Nobody was killed. I just taught him a lesson that life is precious."

"That brings us to the reason why you have been summoned here." Says Tabitha's mother.

Everyone hears a grumble behind Henrietta.

"Agnes, we have talked about this."

"I am not okay with this. I . ." Agnes starts to say.

"Cannot do this alone. You can only do so much. You are my personal guard. You cannot be everywhere and do everything at the same time." Henrietta retorts.

"What about Louise and Saito?"

'Saito?' Wonders the wanderer.

"They are already busy taking care of something else for me."

Kenshin sweat drops.

"Princess Henrietta asked me for a favor, but I told her that that is not for me to decide and that she must ask you directly. Even though you are my familiar, you are still a free person."

"That is not the usual code of conduct, but human familiars have been unprecedented for quite some time." Tabitha's mother informs.

"I still do not understand what is going on here, that I don't."

"Mr. Himura, I am in need your help."

Agnes huffs, crosses her arms, and turns her head away.

"What could a person like me do for someone like you?"

"I am in fear within my own country and palace walls. I don't know who to trust."

"What makes you think that you can trust me?"

"I don't know how to explain it, but I knew I could as soon as I had heard of you. You helped a child and didn't even blink an eye when a nobleman challenged you."

'He wasn't exactly much of a challenge.' He muses to himself.

"Then, you took out a king in his own palace that had been doing unspeakable things." The purple-haired princess finishes.

"So how is it that you want me to help you."

"I want your help taking care of the corrupt people within my own country, and my own palace."

His previous discussions with Tabitha about her uncle and his influence over Reconquista comes to his mind. His brow furrows while in thought.

"Kenshin." Tabitha says to get his attention.

He looks over to her.

"This is up to you. You are not being forced and I will not question your decision."

He gives her a smile and a nod, then he looks back over to the other princess.

"I do not have much to offer you, but I will give you whatever I can to compensate your service."

"Be honest with me. Who are you doing this for?"

At first, Henrietta cants her head to the side as she tries to figure out his question. Then, when she comes to realization of what he was asking, she goes back to a normal stance.

"I am doing this for the people of my country. The people can't have faith in their monarchy if there are corrupt people in charge. I am also doing it for my family. It is extremely cumbersome to not be able to trust almost anybody."

"If this truly is for your country, then are you willing to give up your virginity for it?"

Everyone's eyes go wide as soon as he asks that question.

Tabitha and her mother instantly stare at him in shock. Henrietta also stands there, dumbfounded. Aimee and Guinevere furiously blush at the thought.

Agnes contorts her face in anger. She takes a battle stance and puts her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"How dare you?!" She shouts at the battousai.

She was about to charge him, but then Henrietta holds out a hand to stop her.

"Why on earth would you ask such a thing?" Asks Henrietta.

Her face was also flushed.

'Am I not good enough?' Tabitha wonders.

Tabitha compares herself to Henrietta.

'Is it because she has bigger breasts than me?' She also wonders.

"If your people really mean that much to you, then a person would be willing to lay down everything for them."

'I do hope that he has a reasonable explanation for this. I didn't take him for that kind of person.' Muses Tabitha's mother.

"You can't ask the princess to do that. That could ruin your chances with Germania. You cannot let someone like him take something that precious to you. I forbid you."

"That is enough from you, Agnes. That is my decision."

'Oh, shit. I kind of overstepped myself there.'

She looks away from everyone for a moment while she reflects on what he said to her. She becomes flushed and even a little irritated. After a moment, she takes a deep breath in and lets it out.

"Yes. I would be willing to lay out my virginity if it means the safety of my country."

Aimee and Guinevere grab a hold of Agnes to keep her from jumping at Kenshin.

"Then I have my answer for you. I . . ."

His response gets cut short as Agnes breaks away from the other two musketeers and stomps closer to him.

"I want to test your skill before you give your answer. I do not approve of this course of action at all, but if you cannot defend against me, then I will not allow you anywhere near her. I challenge you."

"Kenshin?" Tabitha asks to make sure he is okay.

"Everything is fine, miss Tabi-Charlotte."

"You do realize that he was able to kill king Joseph, right?" Tabitha's mother asks.

"Yes. I did hear that, but I wish to test his skill for myself."

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Outside, after a short while.

Agnes and Kenshin stand about 10 yards from each other. Agnes prepares herself by checking her armor, her sword, and her musket. Kenshin stands and studies his foe.

'She seems to be a competent fighter, but her temper is going to get the best of her. She doesn't have the presence of a person that has had much true battle experience. I can tell that she really cares and worries for Henrietta's well-being. She actually rather motherly toward her. I actually feel kind of bad that I asked what I did, that I do. If only she would have waited to hear my response before challenging me to a battle.'

Henrietta, Tabitha and Her mother sit in comfy chairs to watch the battle from a relatively safe distance. Claire brings them some tea to drink.

'I find it kind of odd that he wanted to start so far apart. Oh well, it doesn't really matter to me.' The head musketeer thinks to herself.

"Miss Agnes. I am not trying to offend you, but I have not met very many strong female warriors in my time, that I have not. There was one though."

"Before I get really angry about what you just said, why don't you tell me who this woman was."

'I think it's a little too late for her to not be angry.' Henrietta muses to herself.

The purple-haired beauty also chuckles to herself in amusement at her friend and bodyguard.

"There was this woman named Tsukikage Ran. She dressed very much like me. She was quite the swordsman. She had this odd love for sake though."

"What's sake?"

"It is basically a special kind of wine."

"Hmph. Well, I hope to show you that I am also a good warrior."

Guinevere aims a musket at the ground. Everyone's tension grows with each passing second as they wait for the shot. Kenshin is the only one that does not seem to be affected.

The shot goes off and Kenshin quickly closes the distance between him and Agnes quickly, and without the aid of his runes.

'What the hell? How is he moving so fast?' Henrietta and Agnes both think.

Instead of giving a quick and finishing blow, he gives her a chance to fight him. They clash swords.

"That is quite an interesting sword you have there, Mr Himura."

"Perhaps I will let you take a look at it later."

They clash swords multiple times and he gets a feel for her sword style. She goes to slash him, and he virtually disappears before her eyes. She looks side to side and back, trying to look for him. She dodges when she barely notices that he was above her head.

'So high.'

Her survival instincts kick into gear and she shifts into a fight or flight mode. Without even thinking about it, she pulls out her musket and nearly fires at him.

Kenshin darts for her, sheathing his sword.

"Agnes, no!" Henrietta shouts.

But, her words get overrode as Kenshin gets in close and hits her with his sheathed sword. He makes a diagonal upward slash across her body with the flat side.

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After recovering from her defeat, Agnes and everyone else made their way back to the throne room.

Agnes sighs in her own embarrassment and defeat.

"Do not feel too bad, miss Agnes. Despite what it might seem to you, you actually put up a good fight considering."

"Thank you." She says humbly.

'He defeated me so easily. Was he just humoring me?'

"Did you use magic during that fight?" The head of the musketeers asks.

"No. That was from hard training combined with my sword style."

Agnes' eyes go wide.

"So, are you ready to give me an answer?" Henrietta asks politely.

"I am, and the answer is no." He replies.

"No? Even after offering up my virginity?"

'You mean to tell me that I fought him for nothing? And after Henrietta was willing to her virginity to him.' Agnes angrily thinks.

"That is correct."

"May I ask why?"

"I do not know enough about you to trust you yet. A person with my technique should not fight for a country, rather the people. In the wrong hands, it is a deadly weapon."

"But you fight along the monarchy of Galia. Doesn't that go against your principle?" Argues Henrietta.

"It does, and if they were to change their hearts, then I would have to do what I must."

That answer surprises everyone except Tabitha.

'I kind of felt that he would make a response like that, but doing something like that would probably kill him inside. Especially what he has already gone through in his life.' Tabitha thinks.

"Besides, doesn't asking me to help you bring up a conflict of interest and a worry of security?"

"I will not lie, but it does. That doesn't bother me though. I feel like you are someone that I could honestly trust. I am also in desperate need of good help."

"I am sorry, but I cannot help you at the moment."

Henrietta's facial expression saddens.

"Very well, Mr. Himura. Thank you for your time and thank you again for taking of that corrupt noble for me."

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After the Queen and the musketeers had left.

"Why didn't you take her offer?" Tabitha asks him.

"I did not want to help her right out, and I really do not know her. I wanted to observe her more. I am worried for her country though. You did mention how there is Reconquista involved in all of the ruling governments in Halkegenia."

"What was with the virginity thing. Am I not good enough? Is it because she has bigger breasts than me?"

He scratches the back of his head and blushes fiercely.

"Oh, my goodness. That has nothing to do with what I did."

In worry, Tabitha looks at her much flatter chest in comparison to Henrietta's.

"I did it as a test."

"A test?"

"She wouldn't have offered up her virginity if she was truly out for herself.

"So, it's not my breasts?" She asks again.

He nearly faints from all of this, but he manages to shake his head no.

"So, what are you planning on doing?"

"I am planning on observing her from afar and infiltrating her palace. I will see for myself what kind of person she is and the people around her."

She nods.

"I will go through his notes and write down names that are associated with Tristan and Reconquista."

He gives her a serious look.

"A sword swung in my name is swung for the people. If she is as good of a person as she seems, then I will help take care of Reconquista's influence there as well."

"Kenshin Himura, protector of the people." She amusingly tells him.

"I would never refer to myself in such a way, but it has a nice ring to it, that it does."

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my fanfiction.

Aimee and Guinevere are names taken from my other familiar of zero story "Familiar of zero: Saving Grace"

Here is a list of my other stories

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 20

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete

My 'Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace' story is at Chapter 79 - Complete

My 'Teknoman And A Succubus' story is at chapter 5


	12. Chapter 12: Infiltrated

Kenshin & Familiar Of Zero: The Wandering Familiar

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I do not own Familiar Of Zero or Rorouni Kenshin/Samurai X

 **AN:** Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

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Chapter Twelve

Infiltrated

The city near Tristan's palace.

Kenshin was observing Henrietta from afar as she goes around town and mingles with common townsfolk.

He watches her from an alley when she comes across a pregnant woman and begins interacting with her.

Agnes and many of the musketeers (including her lieutenant Michelle) were around her to keep her safe.

Michelle is wearing the usual musketeer uniform. Like Agnes, she has short hair, except it is navy in color.

Kenshin notices Agnes talk to Michelle. He couldn't quite hear what Agnes was telling her, but Michelle seemed pleasant. After Agnes finished talking to her and turned away, Michelle's facial expression changed to a look of annoyance and disgust. She glares at the princess for a brief moment.

'That's kind of an odd reaction, that it is.' Wonders the battousai.

Just as he was wondering about the girl another voice calls to him.

"Hello mister."

Kenshin turns and walks away from his view of Henrietta just in time before Agnes noticed him. Agnes had heard the cheerful voice and went to look in Kenshin's direction just as he walked away.

Kenshin turns and notices Jessica standing there. He could see that the Enchanted Fairy inn was through the other side of the Alley.

"Hello there, young miss."

She puts her hands on her hips.

"I am really glad to see you. I was really worried about you after what happened the last time I saw you. You saved a little girl, attacked a nobleman, and then you got taken away by a dragon."

Kenshin taps his chin.

"That about sums it up, that it does."

She laughs.

"How are you doing, and where is that girl you were with?"

"To be honest, I have not seen here since that day either. I do hope she is well. I gave her some money. . ."

"Because you were leaving. Sorry. I overheard you talking with her. I am glad to see that you are doing well.

"That I am."

"You should come and get a meal at my father's inn. It'll be my treat." She tells him cheerfully.

"I am actually rather busy at the moment. May I come back another time and take you up on your offer?"

She nods.

"I really hope to see you again, soon." She tells him and cheerfully walks away.

He nods to her. He goes back to the end of the alley. Henrietta and the musketeers had already moved on, but he could still see them.

His runes light up and jumps up to the rooftop and trails them from above.

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After following the princess's actions through the town, he figured out which path and direction they would be going to head back to the palace.

'It is still light out. So, perhaps I shall go back to the inn and take that young girl up on her offer.'

On that note he travels back to the inn and goes inside. Again, he is inundated with the sight of all of the scantily clad women of the inn. He gets greeted by one of the fairies. Jessica looks over and notices him. She quickly rushes over to him.

"You said that you'd take me up on my offer, but you didn't say that it would be so soon." She says to him with a playful tone.

"I realized that I had some extra time, that I did."

"That is great news. Let me get you something to eat."

"Are you sure? I do not wish to impose, and I did not do anything to deserve such treatment."

"Don't be absurd. You saved that little girl. Your friend Saito also spoke highly of you."

"Saito?"

She nods and then whispers to him.

"He was here on important business and took care of a corrupt tax collector that was harassing my father."

'Perhaps that is what the princess was referring to when she said that he was already taking care of something.'

"How did he find out that I had been here?"

"After taking care of that tax collector, I had told him about another man that had dealt with another dastardly noble. I told him what you looked like and he had gotten quite excited and said that he had wished he had been here to witness what you did. It was odd though."

"What was odd?"

"The girl he was with seemed slightly startled when you were brought up."

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That night.

Kenshin was watching from outside of the perimeter of the palace. He was noting to himself where he felt security was not tight.

As he observed from some bushes, he notices Michelle, Agnes' lieutenant.

'It is not surprising to see her. If the princess is here, then she surely ought to be here.'

Just as he was beginning to dismiss her presence, a rather distinctive man approaches her. He almost didn't notice him at first because of his navy colored outfit. The man that approaches her had platinum colored hair. His face has a mustache and goatee. He has a large brimmed hat with a single white stripe to it and a single feather in it. The cloak he is wearing has extra cloth along the top of it, giving it a v shape that makes the shoulders look broader. The white pants he is wearing tuck into his boots.

A light breeze blows his feather and their cloaks about. He uses a hand to make sure his hat doesn't fly away and he notices gloves on his hands and a sword at his side.

Kenshin watches as both of them suspiciously look around to see if anyone is watching, then they proceed to speak with one another. The man says something to her, she shakes her head, and then he grits his teeth but gives a nod.

'I wonder who this man is. I will be sure to ask Henrietta about him.'

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In Galia.

Tabitha and her mother were going through Joseph's paperwork.

Tabitha was writing a name on a paper when her mother makes an odd face while sifting some other papers.

"Is something wrong?" Tabitha asks her mother.

"I found something odd. This is talking about something called Andvari's ring. This ring has some interesting powers and would definitely be harmful if used in the wrong hands."

"What is odd about it, though?"

"These notes say that it was in Lagdorian Lake and there were plans to steal it."

Tabitha stares at her mother for a moment in thought.

"You mean the lake that's at the border?"

'That's the lake that seemed to be rising when we passed it coming here.'

"Yes." Her mother answers.

A knock is heard at the door.

"Yes?" The mother inquires.

Claire was standing on the other side of the door and she opens it.

"Pardon my intrusion, but there is a messenger from a village near the border along Tristan. He says it is an urgent matter concerning Lagdorian lake."

Tabitha furrows her brows.

'How troublesome.'

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Kirche answers the door to her room and she finds Tabitha standing outside of her doorway.

The red-head is wearing a black skirt along with a comfortable blouse that reveals her ample cleavage. She had her own set of papers in her hands as she was refreshing herself on things on the state of her country, Germania.

Tabitha was dressed in a far more comfortable traveling outfit than what she has been wearing as the princess.

She could see something serious in her friend's eyes.

Tabitha's eyes burned with a rage and a sense of duty to fix the trouble that her uncle is still causing.

'I will personally see to it that my uncle's wrongdoings become undone. I don't care how long it takes me, as long as if I get it done.' The blue-haired girl thinks to herself.

"Is something the matter?" Kirche asks.

Tabitha nods.

"I would like you to come with me."

"I thought you'd never ask. Where are we going?"

"We are going to investigate Lagdorian lake. The water has been rising to the point that some of the houses that were near it have been submerged."

The tall girl gets a surprised look on her face.

"That much? What could be causing it? Do you get a lot of rain there?"

"I might have a suspicion, and it's probably not rain. But I need to know for sure."

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At the Tristan Palace.

After a long day, Henrietta was in her chambers. Agnes was in there as well.

Being that Agnes is not only her bodyguard, but also her friend, it did not bother her to change in front of her. A maid walks out after helping her take off her white dress. She was standing there in just her undergarments.

Agnes could see the light that coming in from the reflection of the moons and stars. The light gives a soft glow to Henrietta's skin. Agnes couldn't help but blush when seeing how beautiful her friend looked.

'I might not be interested in women, and I am not much of a girly-girl myself, but even I can notice when someone is pretty.'

The princess was about to change into her night clothing. She opens the door to her armoire and the mirror on the inside of the door reflects her image. She was about to take off her bra as she reaches her hands behind her back to undo the strap when she notices a figure in the back, behind Agnes.

She gives a quick yelp and quickly turns around. She puts an arm over her chest area to give herself some modesty and she reaches for her scepter.

Agnes, taking the hint, quickly turns around and draws her sword out.

"Your highness! Captain! Is everything okay?" A girl shouts from the other side of the door.

The two women in the room stare at Kenshin as he walks up from the shadows.

"Your security as rather lacking, that it is." Kenshin whispers to them.

Then, he holds one hand up in the air as a sign of peace, and the other makes a shushing motion.

"How dare you come into the princess' chambers." Agnes says through gritted teeth.

"Your highness? Captain?" Comes the voice again from the other side of the chamber doors.

"Everything is fine." Henrietta says aloud.

Agnes looks back to the princess and Henrietta gives her a nod.

"Yes. Everything is fine, Julia. The Princess just got startled, that is all."

Then, they turn to Kenshin.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Agnes angrily whispers.

"I have come here to help you, your highness."

Henrietta's face softens from his words and her body feels as if a great weight has already lifted off of her.

'Finally. Someone is here to help me.'

Then, another thought comes to her mind as she remembers her last conversations with the manslayer.

"So, since you are in here, does this mean that you are here to take my virginity now."

She asks this while looking at the floor to hide her uneasiness over the whole idea.

Agnes' eyes go wide as she looks back and forth between Henrietta and Kenshin. Then she stares at him while in thought.

"You can't be serious." Agnes says to him.

His eyes go wide in surprise. Then they get even wider as he watches Agnes get down on her knees in front of him.

"Please do not do this to her. If you have to take someone's virginity, then . . . . . . take . . . . . mine."

Henrietta blinks bewilderedly.

"Oro?" Comes out from Kenshin as he gets blindsided by all of this and as he stands there dumbfounded.

"I am begging you. Spare hers and take mine. I would do anything for her."

"Agnes, what are you doing? Get up. This is something that I have to do." Henrietta tells her.

Kenshin looks down at her.

"I do not want you." He tells the captain of the musketeers.

Her eyes go wide again, and she looks up at him.

"Am I not good enough to take her place?"

Then she looks down at her chest.

"Is it because I do not have a large bosom like she does or am I not womanly enough for you?"

He blushes and so does Henrietta as she tries to cover her chest with her arms in embarrassment.

'What is wrong with all of these women comparing themselves to each other.' He wonders.

Then, he sighs.

"That is not what I meant. It has nothing to do with breast size, that it does not. I am not here to take anyone's virginity. That was only a question that I asked as a test."

"So, you don't want my virginity or her virginity?" Asks Agnes.

The same question runs through Henrietta as well.

"No."

"Then, can I put on some clothes? I am getting rather chilly and more embarrassed by the minute standing here in just my undergarments."

He blushes and turns his head away.

"Yes. Of course, your highness." He says politely.

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After getting a little more covered up, Henrietta sits on the edge of her bed. Agnes leans against a wall, and Kenshin sits in a chair.

"Now, please start again." Henrietta says calmly.

"I am here to help you. I have been following and observing you since your visit in the town."

"You've been tailing her that long?" Agnes asks.

"Yes."

"Hey, how did you get in here, anyways." Impatiently asks Agnes.

"Your security is lacking, and I almost wonder if it is intentionally lazy."

"How dare you say that?"

"How dare I not." He replies.

"Please be quiet for a moment, Agnes."

Agnes clenches her teeth and crosses her arms.

"Please, go on." The princess tells him.

"You asked for my help. I did not have a knowledgeable impression you before, but now I do. I followed you and watched you interact with people. I have decided to give you a hand and help you out. You must keep me a secret though. You cannot even tell any of the other musketeers."

"What do you mean by that? You couldn't possible be insinuating that they cannot be trusted?" Agnes blurts out.

Henrietta looks over to her and gives her a look.

Agnes quiets back up and Henrietta turns back to him.

"She does raise a good question." She tells him.

"No. You cannot trust all of them. One of them seems really suspicious to me."

"Please, do tell."

He goes on to tell her what he saw.

"But, Michelle is her lieutenant, and the man that she was talking to was the head of the griffon squadron."

"If you believe that people that are high up in your ranks cannot be spies, then I would have to call you fools. I would also have to ask you why you even asked for my help to begin with."

"You are asking me to believe that the person I trust to be my second is a spy and a liability?"

"I am saying that it is a possibility. Her actions to not bode well for her, that they don't. You also have to ask yourself this question, Captain Agnes. Why else would she be having late night rendezvous with the head of the griffon squad? Wouldn't anything important go through you?"

Agnes grits her teeth and doesn't respond.

"I am not saying for sure, but I would be wary of those two. There are others that I have observed that I have concerns about as well."

Henrietta gets a slightly sorrowful expression.

"This truly goes to show you that I do not have many people that I can trust."

"I am sorry that you have to feel that way. I am going to help you out as best as I can for the short while that I may be here. I will let you know what I observe. I will tell Agnes where I think she could improve the security. I am also waiting on some important information that may help you out even more. When this information comes to me, many of your worries will be put to rest."

"What kind of information is it?" The two ladies both ask and wonder.

"I would tell you, but I am going to take precautions and not tell you until it is time. Please understand."

"Very well, Mr Himura. I am going to put my trust in you." Henrietta says to him.

"Do not let me find out that you are here to betray us, or you would not like the consequences."

"If I wanted to kill her, I would have already, along with you."

Agnes grits her teeth again.

"We will have to move forward cautiously so that we do not tip the culprits off."

"I suppose you are right. I would like to just arrest those two and question them right now, but what you say makes sense. We cannot act rashly."

He nods to the queen.

"Thank you, for agreeing to help me. I will repay you however I can."

"Without her virginity." Agnes adds sternly.

"Without her virginity." He reassures Agnes.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my fanfiction.

Here is a list of my other stories

 ****New story****

 **My 'Monster Musume: Smith Loves His Coffee' story is at chapter 1 (Sequel to Drago's Quest)**

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 21

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete

My 'Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace' story is at Chapter 79 - Complete

My 'Teknoman And A Succubus' story is at chapter 5


	13. Chapter 13: Preventing The Unthinkable

Kenshin & Familiar Of Zero: The Wandering Familiar

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I do not own Familiar Of Zero or Rorouni Kenshin/Samurai X

 **AN:** Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Yeah. Sorry. It's been a while.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

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Chapter Thirteen

Preventing The Unthinkable

The border of Tristan and Galia, Lagdorian lake.

Tabitha, Kirche, and several guards were riding up on horseback to the area where the lake was at. As they ride in, Tabitha and Kirche see familiar faces within the daylight hours. They see Saito, Louise, Guiche, and Montmorency. Saito gives them a wave.

"Hey, Tabitha, I mean Charlotte." Says Saito

Tabitha gives them a simple nod.

Everyone gives her a bow/curtsy.

"It is quite the honor. We didn't realize what happened when you suddenly left the academy and didn't come back." Guiche says to her.

"We couldn't believe the news when we found out you are a princess." Montmorency adds.

"It didn't surprise me when I heard that someone had stormed the castle all by himself. I figured out who that was pretty quickly. Where is Kenshin, by the way?" Asks Saito

Tabitha shakes her head.

"He is on another mission. I shall tall him that you inquired about him."

"That would be great! Thanks!"

'Maybe I will take some time later on to ask him about his viewpoint of Kenshin.' She notes to herself.

She nods.

Then he pauses.

"Wait. He's not going to take down another country, is he?"

Everyone stares at him in awe of his direct question.

Guiche smacks his forehead.

'That was blunt.' Guiche thinks to himself.

Montmorency sighs.

After staring at him stoically for a brief moment, Tabitha speaks up.

"I cannot tell you the exact details, but he is not taking down another country. What brings you three here?"

"We need to talk to the spirit in the lake because somehow Louise drank a potion that made her fall overly in love with me." Saito replies while pointing a thumb at Louise.

Montmorency freezes and gets a nervous smile and chuckle.

Kirche gets a slightly serious look on her face and crosses her arms.

"That's pretty dangerous." The red-head says.

"Not good, and you think that the spirit will help you?" Asks Tabitha.

Montmorency clears her throat and speaks up.

"Hopefully. My family has a pact with the spirit, but it depends on the spirit's mood."

"I would like to speak with it as well. I have two things to discuss that I think may be related."

"We will have to wait for nightfall. The spirit will not appear during the daylight hours from what I recall." Montmorency tells everyone.

"Very well."

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After nightfall.

Tabitha and the rest of the group meet with the water spirit with the help of Montmorency's pact. The spirit initially refuses to help with Louise, but changes its mind after Saito begs for help and offers to do anything. The spirit retracts initial response. They find out that Advari's ring was stolen from the spirit's possession. That is why it had been flooding the area. It was going to keep flooding to expand until it could find the lost ring. Seeing that Saito was a familiar with the gandalfr runes, the water spirit trusted him and has decided to stop the flooding and he gave a vow to return the ring.

With this information, Tabitha and Kirche return to the palace and share this information with Tabitha's mother. They also gather the list that they were making that contained the names of the members of Reconquista that were in Tristan. The names included Wardes and Michelle.

The very next morning, Tabitha heads for the Tristan palace with Sylphid following behind.

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Tristan.

Agnes carries a small crate to a small storage room. After glancing around to make sure no one was looking, she knocks twice with a pause between. She opens the door and slowly walks inside of the dimly lit room. As she enters, she sees the tip of a sword pointed at her head out of the corner of her eye. She slowly shuts the door behind her.

They speak softly.

"You know, I did do the knock."

"Yes. I know. But you can never be too careful, that you cannot."

"I suppose that is true."

A candle is the only thing lighting the room.

"You know, I feel like I am feeding a slave."

Kenshin sits down with the crate, opens it, and looks inside. Inside is a small meal that she had brought for him.

"It is necessary, but it also does not bother me. I am a wanderer. I get my meals where I can whether they be big, small, crude, or fancy."

'He is a very interesting and unique man.' She thinks to herself.

She crosses her arms and takes a seat on another crate.

"That still doesn't make me feel better. Have you figured anything else out?"

"I am pretty sure that Aimee, Guinevere, and Julia are all safe. I have to keep the whole griffon squadron under suspicion though, and there a few others."

Agnes furrows her eyebrows while she thinks about the possibility that Michelle is untrustworthy.

"Miss Agnes, I have a question."

"Well, go ahead and ask."

"I am not saying that your musketeers cannot handle things, but why is it that there are no mages assigned to protect the princess?"

"I do find that remark insulting, but the main reason is trust."

"Then she needs to somehow find a mage she can trust."

"The musketeers are all non-mage women. I have personally trained them all to handle mages."

"I understand that, but having a mage on hand could be beneficial and would make a more complete group. You cannot use the argument that a mage could cast something on her if the person was a traitor."

"Why not?"

"Because someone could just as easily stab her in the back with a dagger or sword. Or one could even shoot her."

She grumbles a bit at the very thought and begrudgingly says her next sentence.

"I suppose that you may be right. I will give it some consideration and bring it up to her. Has the guard clothing been helping you to blend in?"

"It is a lot more uncomfortable than I am used to wearing, that it is. It has helped sufficiently during the day though. At night I have still been wearing what I am used to."

She nods.

He finishes his meal as they converse some more about some of the security issues.

After finishing, he looks at her.

"If you will excuse me, I would like to get some rest before nightfall."

"Very well."

While saying that, she watches him settle against some crates while still sitting up.

'He sure is a strange one, but it doesn't matter if he can help Henrietta.'

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Evening.

In the darkness, Kenshin finds himself observing two of the people he suspects meeting once again along the top of a fortress wall.

"We must not meet for a while."

"Why?" Michelle asks.

"I have been feeling watched. The have been some new guards recently. I do not know if they are spies for or against the Queen and her daughter."

"But we are so close." She retorts in a raised voice.

He turns his head and glares at her.

"That is precisely why. We cannot ruin this opportunity. Now is the time to take even more caution. We cannot let this get ruined by careless action."

Just as he says that, he quickly turns his head to look around as he feels a presence watching him.

"What's-"

"Shhhh. Someone is here."

Michelle begins looking around as well.

Kenshin keeps himself hidden. Wardes pulls out his sword and begins to light it up from magic. A guard comes from an opposing side and looks up the wall at Wardes and Michelle.

"Is everything all right?" The guard asks.

Kenshin takes the distraction and uses it as an opportunity to flee.

"I thought that I heard something." Wardes replies.

"Tell all of the guards to keep their wits and be on the lookout for people wandering around and not at their posts!" Michelle shouts.

"Yes, Lieutenant!" The guard shouts back.

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A day and a half later.

Tabitha lands just short of the outer palace walls, Sylphid follows suit. As she lands, a couple of dragon knights fly down from the palace to meet her. Even though she was not wearing her formal attire, the knights recognize her, giving her a bow when they realize who she was.

She gets off her dragon.

"I am sorry for the intrusion, but the princess is expecting me."

"Forgive us, your highness. We were not informed of your visit."

A voice comes from behind the knights.

"It is quite all right. I was indeed expecting her." Henrietta says loudly.

She is standing at the gates as they rise up. She gives the other princess a soft smile. Her body relaxes slightly as she looks at Tabitha expectantly. She almost staggers from a sense of relief that washes over her. She does well to keep her stance though.

The guards step aside to let Tabitha through, and she walks up to Henrietta.

"You came without guard?" Henrietta mentions.

Tabitha nods.

"They would have slowed me down."

Sylphid gets a scent in the air and looks up at a particular section of wall. She looks at an armored figure and cants her head to the side.

'Is that him? Yes, it has to be him.' She thinks to herself.

She starts to get excited.

Just as she is thinking this, the guard makes a shushing motion. She pouts.

Another guard notices this and looks up to where she was looking and there was no one there.

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In the throne room.

Henrietta sits palely in awe. Her mouth is partially agape, and she is hiding it with her hand.

"Is this really true?" Henrietta asks while still in denial.

Tabitha simply nods her head.

"You can choose to not believe me, but the consequences of that if I am right would be disastrous."

"It is hard to believe some of these names. Some of these people have high ranks."

Tabitha nods in agreement.

"This list may not be complete, but these are the names that we could find while scouring through my late uncle's notes. For someone that was known as the 'Mad King', He was very detail oriented."

"Perhaps that is because he wanted to know whom were his allies and whom he would have to kill later on, that he did."

Everyone looks and Kenshin comes out from behind some curtains. Agnes grabs her sword.

"Dammit, Kenshin!"

"Sorry. I couldn't come in here conventionally."

"You are going to scare the life out of me." Adds Henrietta.

Tabitha looks unphased.

"I think that it is time to take action against these people now, that I do."

Agnes grits her teeth.

"Michelle is mine." Announces the captain.

Knowing how she felt about Michelle, Henrietta nods to her.

"Perhaps it would be wise to handle the conspirators within the palace walls first, and then swiftly follow up with the others afterward." Suggests Tabitha.

Henrietta nods.

"Agreed."

"We should take out Wardes personally. He seems to be the most troublesome." Says Kenshin.

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The following morning, Agnes secretly gathered some of the musketeers and some of the elite knights. After giving them their arrest orders, she quickly stormed off to Michelle's quarters while she was still asleep. She personally arrests her.

The others quickly arrest other nobles and guards within the palace walls. Some of them come quietly, some give resistance, and one kills himself on the spot.

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Walking outside is Wardes. He is by himself with his sword strapped to his side. A light breeze blows the feather in his hat slightly.

A guard stops slightly in front of him and he also stops.

"So, this is how it is going to be." He mumbles.

"Excuse me, but I cannot allow you to go any farther, that I cannot."

"You are the one that has been following me."

"Perhaps."

"Wardes. You are under arrest." Henrietta announces from behind him.

She has a couple knights and a musketeer around her.

"Under what charges?" Wardes retorts coolly.

"Treason as a member of Reconquista."

"Hmmmm. Interesting." He replies.

Right after saying that, Wardes quickly turns around to face Henrietta while drawing his sword. Several bolts of lightening branch out from his sword as he casts a spell. One of the knights takes a direct hit as he stands in front of Henrietta. Kenshin manages to clunkily dodge the attack in the armor he was wearing. The guard that took the direct hit falls to the ground.

It is at this point that Wardes also whistles in a peculiar way that the other guards recognize as a call for the Griffon Knights.

"Your highness, protect yourself!" Kenshin shouts.

Wardes uses flight on himself and he starts to fly up.

"You are not going to get away that easily, that you are not."

Wardes' griffon flies to Wardes, and he mounts the winged beast.

Kenshin chases after him.

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While that is happening.

The rest of the griffon knights mount up and begin to fly off to aid their captain. A fire blast from Tabitha's dragon stops a few of them.

"Icy Wind!" She shouts as she uses her ice shards to stop another one.

Reading the situation, Sylphid flies in behind another Griffon Knight and pulls him off of his griffon. Then she proceeds to just drop him to the ground. He makes some clatter as he smacks the ground.

"Damn . . . dragon." He manages to mutter before passing out.

'Kenshin must be fighting, too. Yes.' Thinks the blue dragon as she flies off.

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Kenshin's runes glow as he begins chasing after the fleeing captain.

"Stop Captain Wardes!" Henrietta shouts.

A couple of archers along the top of the wall look at each other in slight disarray at the orders and the fact she wants them to do that to the head of the Griffon knights. They follow orders and take aim at the Wardes. Their effort was futile as he uses a wind spell to deflect their arrows.

The battousai grits his teeth as he swiftly approaches the wall. He takes a powered leap and gets to the top of the wall, startling the guards. He takes another leap to jump at Wardes.

'I cannot let him get away.'

Even with his empowered jump though, he comes just short of reaching him. He starts to plummet to the ground. He closes his eyes and crosses his arms as he begins to try to brace for the impact.

The impact never comes though as he feels a strong breeze and lands on something that has a little bit of give. He uncrosses his arms, and much to his surprise, finds himself on the blue Dragon that has helped him out before.

"Thank you. You have come to my aide again, that you have." He says to her.

His gratefulness and surprise flees as quickly as it came while he takes his attention back to the man he was chasing after. He gains his bearings and stands on Sylphid.

"Fly faster."

'Aren't we the bossy one. But, yes.' Sylphid thinks to herself.

She speeds up and begins to quickly catch up to Wardes and his griffon. Kenshin's runes glow yet again takes another leap to get to the Captain. The empowered leap jars Syphid's flight.

Wardes looks back and a started look comes upon his face when he sees Kenshin coming at him. He barely had enough time to react and draw his sword. The two clash and quickly fall from the griffon.

Wardes casts a spell on himself and his fall slows down. As a quick and desperate action, Kenshin slashes at the ground just before he was about to hit while using a wind blade attack. The backlash from the attack momentarily slows his fall, but he still hits the ground hard. He groans.

"I don't know who you are, but you are going to die now."

Wardes' sword lights up.

A roar is heard and Sylphid lands on the ground. She glares at him angrily.

The griffon also lands and notices Wardes being threatened by the blue dragon.

"Perhaps I will have to take care of him after we take care of you."

A clink is heard.

Wardes looks over and sees Kenshin using his sword to stand up. He could see that the fall had taken a bit of a toll on him. There is dirt on him and some scratches that he is bleeding from.

"I . . . am . . . your opponent . . . Wardes."

Kenshin goes to take off his helmet and also the rest of his armor.

"Are you sure that is a wise idea?"

"I will be better without all of this stuff on me." Kenshin says while removing his helmet.

"You. You are the one that took down Joseph."

"That I am."

"You should join our cause."

"I think not."

"Why not? Are you for an oppressing government? Don't you see the way nobles look down upon those whom cannot cast magic?"

"I am not for oppression, that I am not. I have been involved in a situation like that. I have been through all of the killing that it takes to do such a change that Reconquista wishes to make. I feel that you should exhaust all other options first. I feel something different than all of this oppressiveness that you speak from the upcoming generation of rulers, that I do. At least some of them. Reconquista was being manipulated by Joseph. I learned about some of the underhanded tricks that Reconquista was going to use. What happens after you succeed? Have you thought that far? Would you become oppressive villains as well in something that you were supposedly doing to be righteous?"

Kenshin could tell he struck a note with Wardes, but Wardes tries to hide his anger behind a stoic face. Wardes' body was tense.

"I guess I can see that we have no choice but to fight."

"I would rather not, but if we must."

Kenshin watches his opponent and is already able to figure out what he was going to do.

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While Kenshin and Wardes engage in battle, Sylphid and the griffon engage in their own battle.

The griffon lunges at Sylphid and the blue dragon retaliates in the same fashion. The tumle back and forth along the ground. Each of them using their talons and claws against each other. Sylphid does her best against the fierce attacks of the beast. Even though she has not fought in combat like the griffon had with Wardes, she still has had to do some fending off of her own while being on her own.

She takes a talon along her face and the griffon also bites at one of her front legs while she also claws at the other beast and bites its left wing.

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Wardes slices through the air and uses a wind strike attack with his sword. A wave of air slices forward and cuts into part of the ground, but he realizes that his opponent had disappeared in front of him. Then his attention draws his sight upward with just enough time to see Kenshin coming down upon him with a ryutsuisen.

Kenshin flips his sword around as he comes down upon the captain's shoulder of his sword arm. His collar bone breaks from the hit, he drops his sword, and he instantly crumbles to the ground from the pain.

"How?"

"You are a good swordsman, that you are. But your style also includes magic. The Hiten Mitsurugi style that I use focuses on reaction and speed."

"Why didn't you kill me?"

"You have many questions to answer, that you do. The justice system here shall decide what else to do with you, but I cannot imagine they handle treason here kindly."

Wardes gets a worried look on his face after hearing Kenshin say that to him.

A moment later Tabitha lands next to where they are at and she quickly gets off her dragon to meet Kenshin.

"You are late miss Tabi-Charlotte."

"Delayed." She tells him.

Then she gives him a hug.

"Missed you." She says with a smirk.

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Later on, in the throne room.

"I have already talked things over with Princess Charlotte, but now we have your reward to take care of."

Agnes, whom is also standing in the room, gets panicked.

"Don't do it your highness. I will take your place."

Agnes quickly walks up to Kenshin.

"Please, Kenshin, let me take her place."

"But-"

"I beg of you."

He puts a hand to his forehead and sighs.

'This is annoying, that it is.' He thinks to himself.

Henrietta's cheeks puff.

"Agnes!"

"Yes, your highness."

"I was going to offer him something else."

Agnes' cheeks become red in embarrassment.

"Wait. Then can I retract what I said?" The captain quickly and nervously asks.

The captain of the musketeers quickly begins sweating.

"You butted in above your authority without knowing my intentions. The deal is set. If you wanted to keep your virginity, then you shouldn't have even spoken."

Agnes' jaw drops and she starts babbling nonsense.

"Now go get yourself ready."

She slumps her shoulders and leaves. She stops momentarily to look back to Henrietta, whom quickly stomps and points her scepter at the doors. The captain leaves dejectedly.

'What the hell did I just agree to.' She whines in her head.

After she leaves, Kenshin looks at the princess.

"I am not opposed to having sex with a woman. I have done so before. What were you going to offer me?"

"I didn't entirely have that figured out. I was going to ask you after offering my virginity to you again. I wanted to prove how important this was for me to you. You may have been joking, but I took this seriously. I wanted to teach her a lesson for butting into things head-first like that though. I really am grateful for what you have helped me with. I was going to have him help lead Louise through Albion to give a letter to prince Wales. If that letter would have gotten into Reconquista's hands, then there probably would have been unthinkable consequences. I might have even led the prince himself into a trap. Let me know whatever it is you may need, and if it is within my power to give you, then I will. I know you probably wouldn't take mine or Agnes' virginity. It seems that you have someone else very close to you that you care for and that would get jealous if you did."

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

He gets a puzzled look for a moment.

"You will understand soon enough. Agnes been doing this kind of stuff to me a lot lately though. I wanted to really teach her a lesson."

"Perhaps she is like that because she really cares about you."

She pauses in thought.

"Maybe you are right. I didn't really think about it like that. It has been a while since her and I have had some time to just talk. I will see about doing that. I will inform her that you declined the offer. Please think seriously about a proper reward though."

Kenshin nods

'It will be interesting to see her brood as to why he declined for a while.' Henrietta muses to herself.

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Omake

Cold Shoulder

What if Kenshin did take Agnes' virginity?

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Wandering around in the middle of the night, Tabitha searches for Kenshin.

'Where could he be? I was hoping to get some good sleep again. It has been hard without him next to me.'

She rubs her eyes.

The, she spots the man she was looking for as he calmly walks down the hall. She rushes up to him and gives him another hug. While hugging him, she could smell something about him. Slowly, she backs up from him and looks at him suspiciously.

"Were you with another woman?"

He blushes.

"Yes. I was."

"Hmph." Is all that comes from her as she turns around and walks away.

'He is allowed to do as he wants. We are not attached, but . . . that's not fair.'

Her gentle walk away turns into more of a stomp and she pouts.

Kenshin feels a chill as she walks away.

'Somehow, I feel like I should apologize for something, that I do.'

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my fanfiction.

Here is a list of my other stories

My 'Monster Musume: Smith Loves His Coffee' story is at chapter 2 (Sequel to Drago's Quest)

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 22

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete

My 'Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace' story is at Chapter 79 - Complete

My 'Teknoman And A Succubus' story is at chapter 6


	14. Chapter 14: The Calm Before The Storm

Kenshin & Familiar Of Zero: The Wandering Familiar

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I do not own Familiar Of Zero or Rorouni Kenshin/Samurai X

 **AN:** Hello again to everyone reading my story, and thank you to the people that have left me reviews.

Getting into a new arc.

*Action*

"Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

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Chapter Fourteen

The Calm Before The Storm

Outside of the Tristan Palace.

Kenshin casually walks towards where the stables are located. As he walks, he takes in all of the stuff going on around him. He can hear the sound of warriors training in the background. Guards go back and forth. There was plenty of light outside because it was only a partially cloudy day.

'This morning would be a good time to venture out to the nearby city. Miss Tabitha and Miss Henrietta have much to discuss, that they do. Maybe I will even run into that blue-haired girl again.'

His calm musing are slightly taken away as he hears someone running his direction from behind him. He turns his head slightly to the side and he sees Agnes coming his way from the corner of his eye.

He stops and turns. She stops within a few feet of him. He fully turns to her.

"Is there something I can do for you, Miss Agnes?"

She gives him a slight nod out of courtesy.

"There is something you can do for me. You can train me in your style of fighting."

He could hear anger and urgency in her voice as she asks.

"I refuse."

"What!" She practically shouts.

"I refuse."

"I know what you said, but you didn't even hear me out."

"I don't need to, that I don't."

He could tell that this frustrated her to no end as she grits her teeth.

"I am not a master."

"Even if you're not, you could still teach me what you know. I want to know how to take down my enemies like the way you do."

"That may be so, but I still refuse. Outside of what I have already told about whom my fighting style should be used for, there is something about you. You are holding anger in your heart. Anger like what you seem to be holding, along with my fighting style, would turn you into a monster."

"I'm fine!" She angrily shouts at him."

"That right there, Miss Agnes, Proves my point. I am not sure what is eating at your heart, that I don't. But, you need to figure it out. If there is something I can do to help you, then I will. I refuse to teach you though. I do think well of you though. Through the short time we have known each other and spent time together, I have grown respect for you and might even consider you a friend."

"Just not enough to teach me."

"I am sorry, that I am. I have learned a lot from my past. I was warned by my master when I fought in a war against a corrupt government. I was also used to make assassinations by a person I thought I could trust."

Steam practically comes out of her ears, but she also takes in what he said. She doesn't say anything despite all of the retorts that run through her head.

"However, because of how I feel about you, I may be will to give you and your musketeers some pointers with your own techniques if you desire."

She crosses her arms and taps an index finger against her arm as she gives it a thought for a moment. She lets out a small huff.

"Very well, Mr. Himura. That would be nice. Thank you."

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Kenshin sees Sylphid as he approaches the stables. She sees him and sits up for him as he approaches. He could see some of the scratches that she had gotten from her fight with the griffon. He examines the claw marks along her face. He also takes a look at the bite mark on her left leg that she also seems to be favoring slightly.

"Hello there. I was thinking of going to the city, but maybe I shouldn't bother. I would hate to take you out in this condition. I know that you went through a lot yesterday with that fight. I am sorry for that. I am really glad that you showed up though. I might not have gotten him if it was not for you."

She nudges her head against him. He smiles and strokes her head while she does this. Afterward, he goes to turn and walk away, but she stops him by nipping at the back of his collar. His eyes go wide in surprise.

"Oro?" He lets out.

'I am not letting you get away that easily. I might be a little wounded, ut that just means you're going to have to take me out.'

She pulls him back toward her and she lets go. He turns around and puts his hands on his hips while looking at her.

"You wish to go out?"

She nods.

'This dragon is a strange one, that she is.'

"Alright."

He notices a bag dangling from her neck like a necklace.

"I wonder what's in that bag. Maybe it'll give me a clue as to who you are."

After saying that aloud, he goes to reach for it.

She evades.

He goes to reach for it again.

She evades again.

"I guess you really don't want me seeing what's in there, that you don't."

She nods.

'I could just cut the rope of it, but I will leave it be. I guess even a dragon has things it wishes to keep private. Very well.'

He goes to get on her, and she allows him.

"You know, I do not know your name, perhaps we should come up with one."

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After getting to the city and taking care of things at the stables, Kenshin finds himself wandering around the city streets.

It doesn't take long before a blue-haired girl with a cloak to approach him.

"Well now. This is a surprise." He says to her.

As he says that to her, he gats a glance at her face within the hood and notices a few cuts along her cheek.

"Oh, my. Are you alright, Miss Sylphid?"

'Oh crap.' She thinks as she raises up her left hand to her face.

As quickly as she does that, she winces from the pain in her wrist. He quickly notices that her wounds seem to be in similar spots to the dragon's wounds.

'No. There is no way. Dragons don't turn into humans.' He muses.

"I will ask again. Are you alright, Miss Sylphid? Those wounds look pretty nasty."

"I suppose they do. They do kind of hurt, but I'll be fine."

"We should get those checked out, that we should."

"It should be fine. I really want to hang out with you. Wait, maybe you should take me out somewhere because you feel sorry for me. Yes."

He crosses his arms.

"That is very assuming of you, that it is."

She pouts and looks away.

"Do you want me to leave you alone then?" She asks with a slightly disappointed tone.

"I would not live with myself if I left you like this."

She looks back to him and smiles.

"Perhaps we can go find something to do, but only after we get you checked out. Let us find a doctor."

She pouts.

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The two of them come out from a small building for a local doctor and she now has some bandages around her wrist. The area where the scratches were at on her face look a little cleaner as well.

"I am glad you came across me. I had only just gotten into town, that I did."

'I suppose I should have waited a little longer, but I just couldn't wait.' She muses.

"I am glad that animal didn't do anything worse. You should be careful when going outside of the city."

"I get it. So, what are we going to do now.?" She asks to quickly change the topic.

She latches onto his left arm with right one and leans against him.

"What are you doing?"

"Just give into me a little and spoil me. I'm hurt, remember?"

He sighs.

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After wandering around a little, the two of them find themselves at the enchanted fairy. Jessica notices them and makes sure to personally go up to them.

"I see that you came back, and you are here with your friend, too. Is your wrist okay? It's all bandaged up."

"Yes, it'll be okay. He took me to a doctor. I'm a quick healer, too." Sylphid replies to Jessica.

"Well that's good. What can we get for you here at the enchanted fairy today? Would you like the meal of the day?"

"I'm sure that'll be fine. I would also like some wine." Says Kenshin.

"Coming right up."

It doesn't take long for their food and his wine to come.

"Hey, Kenshin?"

"Yes?" He asks after taking a drink of his wine.

"Could you cut my food up for me?"

He decides to cut it normally for her.

As they start to eat, he overhears a couple of men talking to each other.

"Hey, did you hear about Albion?"

'Albion. That's the place where Henrietta was going to send a letter to for that guy names Wales.'

"What?"

"I heard that is some crazy stuff going on over there."

"You mean about people trying hunt down the prince?"

"I heard that there is another faction that's going against Reconquista. Do you think it could be another faction helping out the Prince?"

The drunk man waves off his friend.

"Nah. It's probably some inner struggle or some crap like that. You know how all those political groups are. They're never all on the same page and they're all crooked."

They both laugh and clink their drinks together.

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After eating, Kenshin and Sylphid are walking together outside.

"Hey, Kenshin?"

"Yes?"

"I don't wish to pry, but who are you? Where are you from?"

"I am a wanderer, that I am."

"That's a load of crap, Kenshin. You do seem to not be from around here, but you aren't just some wanderer. I've seen you do too many things for just some wanderer. Yes."

He smiles.

"That's a pretty bold statement, that it is. What if I was some kind of mean nasty person that would just kill you for knowing who I might be?"

She shakes her head.

"Someone who would save a child like the way you did, couldn't be that kind of a person."

"I suppose that is a good deduction."

"I'm not trying to ask for a lot. I just want to know a little bit about the person that's been so nice to me and everyone around him. Yes."

He strokes his chin a little.

"Believe it or not, I am a wanderer. It's just that my wandering happened to bring me far from home."

"Are you some kind of warrior?"

"I suppose you could say that I once was."

"I think that you still might be. I bet you were to that little girl and her mother. Those men you fought off probably think so, too."

'Probably that blue-haired girl as well.' She also muses to herself.

"I don't really think of it that way, that I don't."

She shrugs.

"I like how you're not a noble, but yet you still show no fear to stand up to one."

"I stand up for my beliefs and what I feel is right."

She gives him a cheeky smile.

"I think that makes you even more handsome that what you already are."

He gets a slight blush.

"You flatter me, that you do."

"You deserve it. What about that scar of yours? How did you get it?"

He lightly touches it and his face gets slightly sullen.

"I'm sorry. Did I bring something bad up?"

"It is not for you to worry yourself over. This is the reason why I live my life the way I do. How about you? Why don't you tell me about yourself?"

'I would like to know a little more, but it must be something pretty bad if he changed his attitude like that. No matter. I see him for who he is now. Well, I did see him all bloodied. So, saying that doesn't really help much. But he did take out someone pretty bad though from what I gathered.'

"I suppose that would be fair." She replies.

'I suppose it's still not quite time to tell him that I am a dragon and I've been the one helping him out. Yes.' She muses.

"You could say that I am on a journey to find my life-long partner. There have been some pretty slim pickings though. I also want to eat all kinds of food. There is so much great food out there."

She emphasizes that last part throwing her hands in the air spread out.

This elicits a little bit of a lough from Kenshin.

"You certainly do like your food. How are you going to buy all of that food?"

"Well, that has been a little bit of a problem."

"Are there no places for you to work? What about that place that we just ate at?"

She crosses her arms.

"No way. You should already know that that is not a line of work for me, even though they do have good food. My job would be over pretty quickly as soon as one of those men would lay their creepy eyes on me."

"I suppose that is true, that it is. I probably shouldn't have even suggested it. Maybe you could work for the palace in Galia for Princess Charlotte."

She laughs.

"Yeah, right. You do realize how far away that is? You act like you know her."

'I've got to fib a little. Yes. I know he does, but he doesn't know that I know.' She tells herself.

"And what if I did?"

"Well, maybe I'll just show up there and say 'Hey, this Kenshin guy told me to come here.'"

He laughs.

'I bet Claire would like the help.' He muses.

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At the Palace in Galia.

Claire was dusting off a table when all of a sudden, she sneezes.

"Oh my, where did that come from?"

Then she ponders on it and her eyes go wide.

"Oh, no. He isn't talking about me, is he?"

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After coming back from his little trip, his presence was requested by Tabitha and Henrietta. He goes into a private study where there is a large desk, bookshelves lining one of the walls. There are also two couches in the room across from one another with a large coffee table between them.

He could visibly tell Henrietta was very upset. Her eyes were slightly red from crying and she was sniffling a little bit. When she sees him, she tries to calm herself down.

"Should I come back another time?" He asks politely.

"No. Please come in." Henrietta says to him.

"What is the matter?"

"She is worried about her cousin."

"I had heard some news while I was out about another group causing problems in Albion. Would this have something to do with that?"

Tabitha nods.

"This is troublesome though. I do not recall reading anything about this in my uncle's notes."

"Perhaps this is something that has arisen since his death." Proposes the battousai.

"That is possible." Replies Tabitha.

"What do we know?"

"It looks like my uncle was going to have Reconquista take over once Wales was killed."

Henrietta looks away from the both of them when Tabitha says this to try to hide her face. Her words hit Henrietta's heart pretty heavily.

"A man named Cromwell was going to take over Albion. It also looked like my uncle had another plan though. After Cromwell took over, he was eventually going to have him killed as well and have his familiar, Sheffield take over."

"Another human familiar?" Kenshin questions.

Tabitha nods.

"What happens when the person who created the bond dies?" Kenshin asks.

"The familiar loses the bond. That is all."

"Hmmm." Mutters Kenshin.

"Kenshin?" Tabitha utters softly.

"Yes, Miss Tabi-Charlotte?"

His sentence generates a small laugh from Henrietta.

"Still can't get past calling her Tabitha?"

He scratches the back of his head and chuckles slightly himself.

"I had it pretty stuck in my head, that I did."

Then he looks to Tabitha.

"We were probably going to have to go to Albion to take care of this. That is, unless you do not wish to go with me." The blue-haired princess says to him.

"As I have said before, I will be with you through this. Actually. I would suggest that you stay here."

"You aren't really trying to tell me to stay here while you do the dirty work again, do you?"

"Yes."

"Denied." She quickly retorts.

"Albion is no place for either of you to go. In fact, that is probably what they would want. Think about what would happen if Reconquista or this other possible group could do if they got their hands on either of you."

Many horrible thoughts come to both of the princess' heads.

"I still do not like this. This all my uncle's underhanded work. I should be the one to take care of the problems that he has caused."

"I would never forgive myself if something would happen to you over there. Besides, the two of you should figure out a backup strategy. If Reconquista, or this other faction succeeds over there, then the two of you may need to ban together against them."

Tears begin to form again around Henrietta's eyes at the thought of Wales possibly dying. She steadies herself long enough to speak to Kenshin.

"Couldn't I at least send some help with you."

'Maybe I could send Saito and Louise.' Henrietta thinks to herself.

"I will take that idea into consideration, but you already know that I work alone."

Tabitha Glares at him angrily as conflicted thoughts run back and forth in her head.

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 **A/N:** Thank you for reading another chapter of my fanfiction.

Here is a list of my other stories

My 'Monster Musume: Smith Loves His Coffee' story is at chapter 3 (Sequel to Drago's Quest)

My 'History's Strongest Devil Disciple Kenichi' story is at chapter 23

My 'Kenichi: Not Just Her Disciple' story is at chapter 11 - Complete

My 'Monster Musume: Drago's Quest' story is at chapter 4 - Complete

My 'Familiar Of Zero: Saving Grace' story is at Chapter 79 - Complete

My 'Teknoman And A Succubus' story is at chapter 7


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